Before beginning to tat any new pattern, it is wise to actually read all the way through the pattern with an eye toward what techniques may be used and where joins or embellishments will be made. Enclosed here is a short section of a simple edging where planning ahead is crucial.

You will need 2 shuttles (wound CTM if for monochrome edging) or tatting needle and ball thread, petite beads sized to match a double strand of your chosen thread and one large focal point bead. Optional: cloth or small item to which to attach the tatting. Measure fabric to be edged and mark 6 equal parts side to side. Begin tatting split ring with picots. (Use suggested ds count or measure the length from the starting corner of the fabric to the first mark and make the tatted side of the split ring match that length, centering the picots.) Wrap the ds for the bottom of the split ring with one picot mid-chain. The picot should be very long when closed. Approx. 1 and ½ times the length of the closed spit ring. Continue with the second split ring and join to the beaded picot.

Using shuttle one (SH1) stretch out the thread about 1" and make a ring with long picot. At the center point of the ring make the picot 2 - 2 ½" long when closed. Lay SH1 thread next to the straight thread. With SH2 lay the thread along side the others and then make a join to the bottom of the large decorative. Using the encapsulation method, wrap all three back to the line of split rings.

You may find it handy to use a different hand position for this. See the illustration of encapsulated as I hold my hands, prepared and used with the permission of Jane Eborall, at the end of the newsletter. Repeat split rings 1 and 2. Using shuttle one (SH1) stretch out the thread about 1" and make a second decorative ring with long picots. At the center point of the ring join to the long picot which has now been beaded with the focal point bead midway on the picot. After ring is closed, lay SH1 thread next to the straight thread. With SH2 lay the thread along side the others and then make a join to the bottom of the large decorative. Using the encapsulation method, wrap all three back to the line of split rings. Repeat the first two split rings again and sew down edging.