It is the week before Christmas and I have just started writing holiday greetings cards. I have a large recycled stationary box where I keep the cards which I buy every year after the holidays and save to the next year. I also save cards sent to me for which I have sentimental attachment. Among those cards there are often cards with tatting on them. I save every little bit that comes in.
As I stirred the cards around looking for just the right one to send this year, I found a lumpy card from a couple of years ago. It turned out to be an envelope with four tatted pieces in it. I wondered why I had let it sit hidden away. Then I saw the note enclosed. It was from Mary Maynard, who passed away that year. Ah..
She had sent me two tatted wreaths, a "celtic" star, and an angel with node stitch chains. She said that the angel was inspired by one she saw online. She had tatted it in one pass using a self-closing mock ring with floating rings. Here is Mary's forgotten angel.
Abbreviations:
r = ring
scmr = self-closing mock ring
fr = floating ring
sr = split ring
ch = chain
node stitch chain = tat 2x first half stitch; tat 2x second half stitch chain rpt for the length desired
p = picot
lp = picot that is 1" long (1/2" long when closed); 2.5cm (1.25cm)
double picot = make long picot, continue to tat 3-5 ds, join to the picot, adjust the legs of the picot so that the inner one is shorter than the outer one
vsp = very small picot for joining purposes only
mp = mock picot
+ = join
clr = close ring
rw = reverse work
dnrw = do not reverse work
* or rpt = repeat
Using two shuttles wound continuous thread method, or two needles (for floating rings) and ball thread, begin with the skirt of the angel.
R 7 lp (a picot that is 1" long (1/2" long when closed); 2.5cm (1.25cm) 4 vsp 3 clr rw CH node stitch for 7 sets or about 1" (2.5 cm) rw
*R 3 + 4 lp 4 vsp 3 clr rw
CH node stitch for about 7 sets or 1" (2.5 cm) rw
Rpt from * 3x
SR 3 + 4 / 7 clr dnrw and mp to climb into body of the angel
Bring both threads together and begin chain for scmr
SCMR, chain 1 and join to next long picot, repeat joining to each of the remaining long picots. Continue to chain.
CH 6 - 3
FR 2 + (join to last picot) 5 vsp 2 clr dnrw
CH 3
FR 3 + (join to last picot) node stitch for about 11 sets clr dnrw
CH 3
FR 7 lp 3 + (join to long picot to make a double picot) 7 clr dnrw
CH 3
FR node stitch about 11 sets vsp 3 clr dnrw
CH 3
FR 2 + (join to last picot) 5 vsp 2 clr dnrw
CH 3 + (join to last picot) 6 secure ends to start of the scmr and close.
May this angel bring peace to all.
Here's the latest article from the Tatting site at BellaOnline.com.
Flurry Snowflake by Harolah Cheser Flurry Snowflake by Harolahlala (Harolah Cheser), aka The Shade Tree Designer, features the use of floating rings.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art304859.asp
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Georgia Seitz, Tatting Editor http://tatting.bellaonline.com One of the hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com
