Swirl Bookmark

The thread Marie sent for the shuttle exchange was completely used up making this swirl square bookmark. The Swirl is a pattern I made up more than a year ago. It has more rounds than this one, but I didn't want to use up all the thread before I got the tail made, so I only did three rounds. The tail is pearle tatted. I like doing that because it's a chance to just fiddle with the thread. No rules, and any pattern or non-pattern will do.  OH -- I forgot to say this was also made with my new hand-carved shuttle from Marie.  It really holds a LOT of thread!  It's just the right size for my hand and even though it's smooth, it doesn't slip out of my fingers.  It's lovely!

This one might go to my niece's teacher for Christmas. I offered her one of the Christmas mouse bookmarks, but she's pretty certain her teacher doesn't like mice.

This is also the same motif I used for Diane's doodad challenge. I said then I'd post the pattern. Uh-huh. It's been more than a year, but I do have a .pdf of the file. I've put it in Keep & Share but I only have a trial account, so I hope it works.  If anyone is interested better get it soon.  ☺

*sigh*  It has been pointed out to me that I uploaded the .psp file instead of the .pdf file.  I fixed that, so it should be okay now. Ooookaaayyy--apparently I'm doing something wrong.  I think it's fixed so anyone can download it now.  If someone would try it and leave me a comment if it works, I'd appreciate it.

Motif Diagram

There's no written pattern, but for anyone that can work from a diagram -- here ya go. Join to the next motif at the picots on the 8ds, p 4ds chains, at the small joining picots on the 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 4ds rings, and at the center picot (which is a larger picot than the other small joining picots) of the 4ds, p, 4ds, p 4ds, p, 4ds rings at the corners. I hope that is more clear than mud. Oh -- if you click on the image it should get you a larger size image. If it's not large enough to see, will someone flag me, please?

Lock-Chain Ornament Pattern

One person expressed an interest -- that's quite enough for me. Here's the pattern I created for the Design Challenge 2. Click on the image to get a larger size...or check the HBT file section or Etatters, because I'll post a .pdf file in those places.
[PS -- thanks, Jane Eborall for introducing me to lock chains. I'd never neard of them before your hippo TIAS]
Here goes (oh, and keep in mind, nobody's test-tatted this thing):

Materials:
2 colors size 80 thread
Two shuttles

Techniques:
Split Ring
Self-Closing Mock Ring
Lock Join

Abbreviations:
- or p = picot
— = double-length picot
—— = quadruple-length picot
lj = lock join
RW = reverse work
SCMR = self-closing mock ring
Sh = shuttle
SR = split ring
vsp = very small picot

Begin at SR A: [Sh 1] 4-4——4 / [Sh 2] vsp 5-5 (the vsp is used attach the final lock chain)

*Lock Chain : 4-3-3-3-3-3

Inner Ring B : [color 2] 6 (+) 6-6 (on subsequent Rings “B” join to free p of previous ring B, shared join with lock chain between Rings H and I)

Lock Chain : 3+3+3+3+3+4

SR C : 4+4-4 / 5 — 5 (to quad-length p of Ring A, after twisting the p 3 times)

Lock Chain: 6

SR D: 4-4-3 / 5

Chain: 6-6 RW

Ring E : 6+3-6 (to free p of Ring “C”) RW

Chain : 6-6 RW

SCMR F: 8+4 (Ring f 8-8) 8 (to free p of Ring “E”) RW

Chain : 6-6 RW

Ring G : 6+3-6 (to free p of Ring f – the ring thrown off the SCMR) RW

Chain : 2-2

Ring H : 6+8-4 (to free p of Ring G)

Chain : 2-2 lj to free p of Ring H

Lock Chain : 6 (lj to free p of Ring B) 6 (place size 30 thread or fine paperclip to create a joining space for Ring I) and continue with

Chain : 2+2 (join to free p on the Chain between Ring H and the Lock Chain) RW

Ring I : 4+8-6 (join to space created by thread or paperclip in previous chain) RW

Chain: 2+2 (to free p on Chain between Rings G and H) RW

Ring J : 6+3-6 (to free p of Ring I)

Chain : 6+6 (to free p of Chain between Rings F and G) RW

SCMR K: 8 (Ring k 8+8 [to free p of Ring J])4-8 RW

Chain : 6+6 (to free p of Chain between Rings E and F) RW

Ring L : 6+3—6 (to free p of Ring K) RW

Chain : 6+6 (to free p of chain between SR D and Ring E)

SR M : 3+4-4 / 5 (to free p of SR D)

Lock Chain: 6†

SR (A) : 4-4——4 / 5 (+) 5 (to free double-length p of Ring L)**

Repeat from * to ** 4 times and from * to † once; end with lj to vsp at beginning. Cut and tie ends, hide with magic threads

Bonnie's Butterfly - Version 2

Another one. This is the water-skeeter looking butterfly, and I like it anyway. As before, I'll post a .pdf version of this .jpg at Here-Be-Tatters and ETatters.

Bonnie's Butterfly - Version 1

This really is just a diagram for version 1 of Bonnie's Butterfly. It works the way my brain works (so those of you with working brains might have trouble actually following it's ...um... logic). The "paperclip" notations are where I put a paperclip between stitches on the chain to leave a space to pull down a bit of thread for joining the later-made ring. As with the other diagrams, I'll post a .pdf version of this one on Here-Be-Tatters and ETatters.

Butterfly Pattern Three

The first version of Allix's Butterfly starts with the antennae and makes a leap of faith across the head to work the second wing. The magic threads didn't work so well in the sample and it appears somewhat pulled apart between body and head. I managed to sneak this one past my youngest niece, as it does NOT comply with her rule: "head, thorax abdomen...insects have three body parts." Even so, it's one of my favorites.

Like the others, I'll post a .pdf version of this .jpg at ETatters and in the pattern files of Here-Be-Tatters.

Oops. I've been informed that when the pattern prints the sequence numbers, stitch counts and instructional notes are too tiny to read. I've redone the pattern, and hope the crowded numbers are not too confusing.

Pattern for Version 2 of Butterfly One

Because I'm working my fingers to the bone (and only getting bony fingers to show for it), I don't have a lot of new tatting to show off. Seems like a good time to go back to sharing those butterfly patterns I've got. This one is substantially the same as the original version. Instead of being built on an internal split ring, it is built on a chain that is joined together at the end. Hmmm -- it might work as a SCMR, I never even thought to try that. This has not been test tatted by anyone -- it's just my notes on "How I did It" (makes me feel like Viktor Frankenstein).
If this .jpg doesn't work for you and you are a member of Here-Be-Tatters or ETatters I'm posting a .pdf version on those sites.

Nearly Adonis

He's Bright.
He's a Fright.
Adonis isn't right.
Sigh.
This is what I get for making butterflies around a kindergartener who's been through "Edible Bug Day" (a Hostess Snowball ladybug and a Twinkie katydid).
Sherry Pence's Adonis has that nice long caterpillarish body butterflies should have. However, when someone is standing in front of you singing:
"Head, Thorax, Abdomen
Head, Thorax, Abdomen
Insects have three body parts!"
It's worth more than your tatting thread and shuttle to make more than three body parts. But...hey...I got those antennae knots pretty even!

Butterfly One - Version One Pattern

First version of the first butterfly. For those of you that can work from a diagram, I hope this one is sufficient. If there's something really confusing, leave me a comment and I'll see if I can clarify. I think this .jpg ends up being fairly large, too. Again, using Firefox, you can print preview it then tell it to print landscape and fit to the page. I still don't know what any other browser might do, but believe they should have something similar. If you are a member of Here-Be-Tatters or eTatters, I've posted a .pdf file of this image in both places. If you can't get something usable, leave a comment and we'll figure something out -- unless the reason it's not usable is there are no text instructions. I don't want to do those. :)
Oh -- I just realized none of these patterns say to use two shuttles. I do it as a matter of habit.

Butterfly Two Pattern

Some of the tatters from Here-Be-Tatters were interested in trying these butterflies from the diagrams I made for myself. You better believe if I had made them for general distribution, I wouldn't have put in a sample with the threads just tied and hanging there! I think if you click on this image it will come up large enough to print -- drat, it's huge. This is the advantage of Firefox, you can print preview it then tell it to print landscape and fit to the page. I don't know what any other browser might do. If someone wants it and it just won't print, leave a comment, and I'll see what I can do about making it smaller. Also, just to be certain I don't leave any one out, I've posted the .pdf file in the Here-Be-Tatters file section and in a discussion on eTatters.

Finishing Up One More

A long-sleeved "onsie" for a winter daughter. My sister did the tie-dye and I put a neck decoration on it in shades of pink. The buttons are smaller than the ones I used for the adult t-shirts, otherwise, this is the same pattern. Someone asked for the pattern, but this diagram is as far as I ever got with it. I hope it works for that someone, and anyone else interested! {oh -- click on the diagram and it will open into a larger picture} The thread I used was (again!) one strand of Gütermann cotton thread and one strand of Signature machine embroidery thread. Together they make something close to size 80 tatting cotton.

Square Bookmark with Buttons Pattern

After some requests for a pattern for these bookmarks, I managed to cobble this one together. The instructions are sketchy and the diagram is a bit off-balance, but it's there! Now that I've figured out how I can do the diagrams I need to practice to refine them. But -- here's the square one with buttons if anybody is interested. I think if you click on the little picture it will open a bigger one that you can print.

After reading the comments on the size of the image, I resized it and am reposting it. I think it should print out on one page now -- without having to copy and paste it somewhere else before reprinting.