Monday 28 March 2016

marching along

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And the snowflakes march on …
My March installment of 2 snowflakes per month for the Year Long Snowflake Tat-Along on Craftree
There’s nothing much to write about these snowflakes, except for my colour adventure in one & my split chain practice in the other.

Day Four Snowflake
Pushing my colour boundaries.


Threads : Anchor variegated embroidery cotton 1325. 2 strands
Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton size 40 pink 052
Measurements : Rnd 1 - 1.5" ; Rnd 2 - under 3"
Techniques : 2 shuttles, directional tatting, floating/thrown rings, Reverse Join, Lark's head picot joins (LHPJ), Lock Join

My go-to colour with this variegation would've revolved around blues & purples , or white, black. But pink ? Never. Hence had to give it a go.  Coz these snowflakes are also experimental ...
Rnd 2 continued clockwise after a Reverse Join to switch shuttles.
Added very small anchoring picots to a couple of outer Floating rings to stabilize, then discontinued.

LHPJ to link outer chains.

TIP : Elaine Gan's Reverse Join enables one to lock join to a point below the working element while simultaneously enabling the switching of shuttles, which is what I needed in order to change the colours. 



Day Five Snowflake
Lene Bjorn

Chaining the split chain

Threads : Anchor Mercer Cotton size 40. Aqua Blue. 4054-0185
MeasurementsRnd 1 : 1½”  ; Rnd 2 : 2¼”  ; Rnd 3 : <3½”
Techniques : 2 shuttles, directional tatting, lock join, split chain (SCh).

Started rings in Round 1 with RODS (reverse order DS) so that the chains would be normal stitches.
Climbed out of the round with a split chain.
Deliberately done in single colour because I wanted to practice SCh. I want to become comfortable working the SCh.

TIP : During the Craftree Mystery TAL, I realized that after a chain is lock joined to a picot & returns back up for another picot join, the adjacent chains lie flatter together if 1 half stitch is reduced. Or in other words, if the LJ is considered as a half stitch in the stitch count.
  

Lene’s snowflakes are much larger than I used to think before, and I’m glad I chose size 40 to work them. But each pattern has something new to learn or try out, besides being so beautifully designed.
I'm still behind by 2 snowflakes but hope to catch up soon. And I've skipped Day 3 for the present. Want to work on it at leisure.


                                               happy tatting :-)


Related Posts Mystery Doily
Day 1 and Day 2 snowflakes



12 comments:

  1. Lovely snowflakes! I like that you are pushing the color boundaries.

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    1. Diane, I hope to have a little surprise for you soon :-)

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  2. Lovely use of colour. I like the shape of the second one too.

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    1. I was terrified of using that pink, but it didn't turn out as bad as I thought ;-)

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  3. Very beautiful snowflakes!!! :) Love the colors!!! :)
    I first tried Day 3 snowflake in size 40, but failed so I tried again in size 20 and it was no problem!! :)

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    1. Thanks for that tip, Sue. I was going for 40! Do you remember how big the Day 3 turned out ?

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    2. I think approximately 2 1/2 to 3 inches across. I really like the size instead of the tiny snowflakes which get lost easily! :)

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    3. Then it is smaller than the ones I've tatted so far (if they were all done in size 20) ! Thanks Sue ... will hunt for the colours I have in mind :-)

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  4. Beautiful colourful snowflakes,
    Margaret

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  5. Both are very pretty. I especially like flowery shape on the spokes of the second one.

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  6. Thank you so much, Jenn, Margaret & Robin :-)
    Lene's patterns are all so pretty & enjoyable to work !

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