Inward facing picots are picots which appear on the smooth side of the line of stitches. There are a variety of ways in which they can be worked and all have different effects and uses.

First of all, the Self Closing Mock Ring (SCMR) is effectively an inward facing picot. If you are starting with the self closing mock ring you wind two shuttles without cutting the thread between them - wind the first shuttle, then unwind the thread you need from the ball and cut it at the point when you have enough. Then tie the end to the second shuttle and fill it.

Fold the thread in half between the two shuttles and leave a loop of about two inches, and start tatting the chain just as you would normally. When it's as long as you need for your self closing mock ring, put the working shuttle through the loop and draw up to close.

If the self closing mock ring falls in the middle of a chain it's made in exactly the same way except that you have some tatting to hold onto whilst you are starting.

Inward facing picots can also be made using the core thread along the line of a normal chain. In this case you will need to insert something to catch the thread at the point where you want the inward facing picot, so that the chain will be forced to bend back on itself. I usually use a plastic coated paper clip (the metal ones can rust and spoil your lace). Leave the paper clip in place until you are ready to join to your inward facing picot, then pull the paper clip to make the necessary space big enough for the tip of your crochet hook to go into and remove it before inserting the crochet hook - there will be a small space just big enough.

Last of all, Priscilla Oru-Inebite Jack invented another form of inward facing picot which looks for all the world like a normal picot except that it shows up on the smooth side of the stitches with no break in the stitch line. This really is very simple to do and there are two ways in which you can do it. The first is Priscilla's own method - just make the picot you want to face inwards a little longer than usual and pull it inwards fairly hard. You will need to press it into place when you have finished the lace but I can assure you that having seen this lady's work the picot stays in place remarkably well.

The other method is to make two picots one double stitch apart from one another, the first picot a tiny one and the second one long enough to show on the smooth side. Pull the longer picot through the tiny one when you have finished.

This form of inward facing picot only works well with the cordonnet crochet cottons, it does not work well with cottons such as pearl cotton.

My thanks go to Mrs Sue Hanson for introducing me to Mrs Ine-Orubite Jack and for enlightening me as to how to make the NIP Picot!