Dragonfly and Swan

These two motifs are quite fast to tat up and doesn't take much thread.  They are useful for emptying shuttles when you need them to start on a new project.

Since they are quite simple designs, there is the possibility that someone has thought of the patten already, but I have come up with these on my own without referring to any other patterns that may have been done before.

I am giving the patterns in chart form with a little explanation along the side.  If you need any help with them, please e-mail me.

Dragonfly

This pattern is made with one shuttle with a little finger tatting. I have added beads in the chart but you can replace them with picots.

Leave a tail of about 20cm and make the first ring at the tail-end of the dragongfly, i.e. the ring R(5-5) and proceed with the split rings, followed by the wings on the left side of the chart .

The lower wings are joined to the 2nd split ring of the lower part of the body.  The upper wings are joined to the head of the dragonfly.

Male a long picot in the ring for the head which is then cut to form the feelers.

The pattern ends with the lower wing on the right side of the chart.  Cut and hide the ends.

If you don't like ends, you can try this alternative.
You need about 150cm of thread for this.  Start in the middle of the thread, i.e. 75cm on each side.

Make the first ring at the tail end. followed by the split rings.  Use one side of the thread to make the wings on the left side, and the other thread to make the right wings.  For the right side, make the double stitches in reverse order, i.e. the second half of the stitch first.  Finish with a split ring for the head, close the ring and cut off the thread with enough length for the feelers.

I have since found out that dragonflies don't have feelers/antennae.  They have stubs at the top of the head for eyes. So, instead of making a long picot you make a regular ring with 2ds separating the beads instead.

Swan

Leave a tail of about 30cm of thread at the beginning and start with the onion rings for the body.

After closing the second ring of the body, make a shoe-lace knot (SLT) to change the position of the thread left at the beginning.  Using this thread as a ball, make the neck of the swan, joining to the body as shown in the chart.

Make a split ring for the head and cut off the ends leaving just enough for the beak.