After making lots of odds and ends of tatting this year, while I practised things like split rings and mock rings, xmas has given me the excuse to finally make a few things from start to finish. Tatting is easy to slip in an envelope with a card, and snowflake patterns exist in abundance. They can be used as ornaments for the tree, or to hang up with the xmas cards (or something… I hope).
Anyway. I did have plans to make a few different styles, but sadly work has been too busy to remember to print out any other patterns. At the end of each day I keep realising I’ve worked though lunch and completely forgotten. On the plus side, as I tatt on the train, making the same pattern each time means you remember it easily and don’t need to keep digging in your bag for what to do next. I’ve been making this pattern, ‘Quantiesque‘ by Jon, a prolific tatter based in Malaysia.
The first one I made was in dark red. I got the threads from the Stiching/Knitting show at Alexandra Palace (London), but they only had a limited range of colours. Originally I’d planned to make the inner rings in dark red and the outer in lighter red, but the more I tatted, the more I decided that would actually look crap with the colours I had available. This is the dark red one unblocked:
and this is it’s companion, the light red one, blocked:
After this, I ended up with too much thread left on my shuttle – which tatters will appreciate is *really* annoying, so I tried to pay attention to how much thread I was using a bit more closely. Too closely in fact. I wound on too little and so made a 5 point version of the snowflake instead 🙂
The colour of this is really odd. If you get it in exactly the right light, it’s really pretty. A lovely, icey, delicate blue. If you look at it in the wrong light it looks like it’s meant to be white and has got really dirty. Aside from that, the lighter colour makes the centre stand out more, making it look more 3d. I’m now in the middle of making one in an ecru thread, which is looking like it should be nice. The thread for all of these is a DMC perlé, size 12.
While at the same show I also picked up a DMC size 80. I like the thickness (or thinness), but it does have a habit of twisting back on itself:
This is a first go at a Mary Konior pattern, and the smaller rings were often tricky to close, as the thread kept twisting. Got there in the end – it’s not the neatest tatting, (and it’s not been blocked), but it’s ok. I’ll remake it another time, when my commuting time isn’t full of snowflakes.
Occasional Crafter 
OH! I love Jon’s Quantiesque snowflake! I’ve even done it myself in white. It’s such a beautiful pattern that it looks great in solid colors or multicolored with coordinating colors in the layers!
It’s always fun to meet a fellow tatter online! That is pretty cool that you use the time on your train ride to tat!
Hello! Thanks so much for your comment, (my first!). And TattingChic, I’ve been a reader of your blog for quite some time, your tatting is wonderful, so I appreciate the comment even more 🙂
Well, you know, I had to look at your other stuff! Even tho I’m primarily a tatter, I crocheted for years and years before I learned to tat. I’m also very attached to my sock monkeys, a love for them instilled by my grandma who made them. So…very nice tatting, some of my favorite patterns, but I also gotta say I adore your crocheted monkeys!
Aww – thank you! Breaks my heart just a tiny bit each time I give one away! I must get round to writing out a pattern, but now I can see why other people are so reluctant to do it, once you get started you loose track of where you were and before you know it, it’s too late.
Your tatting is beautiful! The reticella link you showed is drool-worthy! I cannot imagine making something so intricate. There is something very appealing about it, isn’t there? I can’t describe it myself since I normally go for more florally designs. I didn’t find the basics of needle lace that hard to learn, but I can see it will take a long time to get to a point where my tension will be good. I’m using it as an excuse to practice more:) There are things I am unsure about how to make, but I keep trying to convince myself that there is no lace police – as long as the final product looks like it’s supposed to, it doesn’t “really” matter how you get there. I know that *true* reticella is all based on drawn thread anyways.
Mica – as all i know about reticella is from that photo, it wasn’t until you mentioned it being geometric that it dawned on me that it must be drawn thread! It’s kind of annoying, as (like you I think?) I’m not great with needles! My mother is amazing at Hardanger embroidery, but I just don’t think I’m a natural needleworker.
I know that sounds a bit silly, since i was looking up needle lace, but I was trying to find out what ‘needle lace’ was – and then came across that and loved it. I have a feeling needle lace can mean about 20 different things 🙂