Partial Doily & Motif and a New Project

This is where I finally decided to end with the doily from the book "New Tatting". There are a few more rounds to it, but I will not have enough thread to tat them all.  Thread used is Altin Basak, not a favourite thread for me to use for tatting.  I still need to block it properly.  This image is taken after I had it pressed under several thick books.

Pressed together with it is the motif below, also from the book New Tatting.  It also a partial pattern because I only tatted the frst four rows and added two rows of my own to use up the remainder of thread in the shuttles.

As for the new project, I started on Renulek's Summer Doily - only at the 4th row now.  Can't really say if it looks summery enough at this point.

Interim Tatting

After completing the Spring Doily, I worked on another doily from a pattern in the book New Tatting.  After working on it for a number of rounds, I decided not to continue with it because I did not quite like the thread that I had used for it.  This is as far as I got with it - and it sure needs blocking to lay flat.

I did not have enough of the thread to add any more rounds to it, so I finished it off with a round of chains which is not in the original pattern. I used up what is left in the shuttle tatting another motif from the book.

I think, maybe, deep inside I really wanted to start on Renulek's Summer Doily and that the doily above was just an interim tatting.  I even picked out the threads that I plan to use.  I hope the colours are summery enough.

Spiderweb

The title has nothing at all with what I am writing about today.  Well, maybe a little.  This is a doily that I am currently tatting.  It is the Floral Bouquet Doily from the book New Tatting by Tomoko Morimoto and it looks like spiderweb to me.

Floral Bouquet Doily by Tomoko Morimoto from the book New Tatting

Most of the rounds are made out of chains, long and short ones. I showed another photo of this in my Facebook page and a tatter asked me how I manage to get my chains turning out right. I am not sure if I gave the correct answer for it.

Usually, I snug the double stitches right close and stop when I fell that they will not slide anymore.  I don't force them beyond that point.  I want to be able to see the form of each double stitch, and make out its 'legs'.

So, how do you keep your chains looking just right, not loose or bunched up together?

The Spring Is Sprung

"Spring is sprung, the grass is riz.
I wonder where de boidie is.
De boid is on the wing, but dats absoid.
How can the boid be on the wing, the wing is on de boid."

- Anonymous

Except that it is already summer by the time I finished my Spring Doily. Here it is in different angles.

The doily, finished at 18 inches (46cm), is the largest item that I have tatted. I used Olympus thread throughout.  I usually end up giving my tatting away but this one is a keeper (for the moment, at least).

Penultimate round of Spring

Yes, two more rounds to go to finish Renulek's Spring Doily.

Round 12 has a long chain joined to the previous round.  Since I am using two colours for round 12, red rings and green chains, using the regular method for making a lock join will have a bit of red showing, like this,

Normally, I would not have minded that little blip if I am working with multi-coloured thread as is bound to happen.  But, in this case, that red stood out in between the green and the tan variegated. To remove that blip, I followed an instruction that I had read in a new tatting book that I have gotten.

Instead of pulling the shuttle thread through to make the join, I pull the green ball thread and pass the shuttle through the green loop.

Then, I slowly pull the chain thread to close the loop but keeping the green thread wrapped over the red shuttle thread.

I even out the double stitches before the join and continue with the next set of double stitches after the join.  Because the shuttle thread is not locked, you can still continue to adjust the spread of the double stitches even after you have made the join.

This is the beginning of my Round 12.

This is the tatting book recently bought, New Tatting by Tomoko Morimoto

In my opinion, it is a good book for beginners because she covers a lot of tatting basics in it.  There are designs in there that can be appealing to all levels of tatters.  In fact, I have one that I plan to tat after I have finished this Spring Doily.

Round 9 of Spring

I feel I had to add the additional words in the title as I am still on the Spring Doily, while Renulek has come out with a summer doily. I have no plans to the summer version, but I admire the tenacity of some tatters who are already embarking on it after finishing Spring - some are even working the two Spring and Summer together, finishing one and starting on the other.

Anyway, this is my Round 9 -

This is a close up so you can see the thread colours better.

I brought back the red in Round 9 but I added a new thread for the chains.  I am using Olympus Gold label code M16 for the chains, which is a variegation of tan to white.  Unfortunately, it does not show up very well even in the close-up photo.

My next post on this will be after I have completed the next two rounds.

Spring Doily Round 8

The red really stands out in the middle.  I may bring this shade back in at least one of the coming rounds.

I am using Olympus Gold for all the rounds. Once Round 8 is complete, this doily would be about 34cm wide.

As everyone have indicated, Round 8 is taking a long time.  It may well be long into summer before I'll get this Spring Doily done.