Craftree Forum Tree > Tat-Alongs > 2015 Beginner's Mystery Tat-A-Long
KT, it doesn't look like it needs much blocking. I saw that a lot of folks had problems with cupping in the earlier stages, but all of them are now lying nice and flat. I'm so looking forward to getting enough time to do this one myself.
Round 7 complete beginning round eight today
For another long-running discussion, I'm interested in knowing what size thread you've used and what the diameter is of your final piece.
in reply to kersti's post:
Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton in Size 40.
Final diameter : 9.5 inches
I'm not quite done yet, but I should be right at fifteen inches with size 10 Lizbeth.
I used two slightly different threads, Rico Essentials Crochet size 10 and Anchor Freccia size 12. My finished doily measures 31.5cm (12.5in) across.
Hi , steady there ;-P
Basically, it is a picot that will Not be used in joining . It is there only for the design to look pretty. Hence the adjective "decorative" .
Sometimes tatters like to make these longer than other picots (in fact, many designers ask that the picots used for joining, be smaller than normal picots!). Or they may like to add a bead there.
I used graduated / graded picots (variable lengths) for decorative purposes in my doily here.
You can ignore it, and make all picots normal. Personal choice & preference :-)
so..... I FINALLY have a bit of vacation time.... and time to tat.
I have just finished row 8 and am thinking that I may start over from scratch....
everything was fine on the first 3 rounds and laid flat... then row 4 seemed to pull to tight
I continued with row 5 while adding to a little length to the chains and with blocking it seemed to correct the problem.
All was good through row 6 and no problems.... row 7 went ok but with a little center puckering & I thought blocking might handle it.
Then, with row 8 you are back to tatting the ring and chain pattern that was so tight in row 5 and I added an extra picot and 2 stitches to each chain.... It was working out perfectly until I was closing in on the second 1/2 and it seemed to be pulling tighter once again.... but not at the chains, but where the rings connect to the previous round... the puckering in the center is back worse than ever as the rounds between rows 4 & 8 were pulled together... it all seems to be at the connections between the rings and chains being too constrictive... If I start over I will move those connection points in a stitch each, as I don't think blocking is going to work.
I ran out of thread at row 7, so I'm going to start a new doily also. When the thread comes in, I'll finish up the first one. It will be easier the second time around hopefully.
Actually, these puckering, cupping, restrictive problems that folks are reporting are really excellent for beginners. We all have to learn to deal with these, as well as other things. I think it's great that through the TAL folks have an opportunity to work out some solutions together. The next doily will go a lot smoother for this experience.
in reply to Omallama's post:
To start round two, load your shuttle with a few yards of thread (you won't need much as this is a chains-only round) and keep attached to the ball thread. Join to a centre picot on the previous round's chains and off you go.
To do that join, just pull your thread through the picot and slip your shuttle through the loop formed. If you're needle tatting pass the needle through the picot and tie a knot, then start your chain at that point.
Tried to start round 7 while driving (well riding) through the Colorado Rockies by the light of the Nav system. Bad idea. I'll be untatting today, thankfully I only did 3 repeats but added a p4 on the chains.
