Sunday, March 22, 2020

coronavirus doily - easy part three




Felt like it was time for a little HDT, so I dyed some with sage green (which wasn’t really sage-y) and various purples.  One of the dyes “broke” in a few areas and I got a few spots of gold. 

This round is easy.  Wind a shuttle and leave attached to the ball or, in this case, the thread-winder.
 R: 8+ (to any p of the previous round EXCEPT the middle p where there are three in a row) 8.
R: 8+ (to the next p of the previous round but again, not that middle p where there are three in a row) 8.
CH: 8-8
** R: 8+ (to the same p as the previous join) 8.
R: 8+ (to the next p of the previous round but again, not that middle p where there are three in a row) 8.
CH: 8-8
Repeat from ** around.  Astute observers will see threads coming up from the middle of the last CH, which means the second part of that last CH was a split CH.  I plan to use the same thread for part 4, starting here.

Friday, March 20, 2020

coronavirus doily part 2



Coronavirus doily part 2

This part will be easiest if you wind two shuttles CTM.  Pretty full.  You’ll begin with an SCMR because this ring, and the others in the same position, is squished into a tight space.  You’ll use the SCMR later in each sequence as well, in order to get a pair of rings in the right order.

** Drop a loop, SCMR: 8+ (to a lower R p of the four-ring center cluster) 1-1+( to the opposite R p of the next four-ring center cluster) 8  Post shuttle through the dropped loop and close.

CH: 5-5
R: 8+ (to next R of that second four-ring cluster) 4-4
CH: 7-7
R: 7+ (to last p of previous R) 7
CH: 4-4-4-4
Drop a loop, SCMR begins 7
            With ball thread shuttle, R: 4-3-3-4+ (to join between last 2 Rs) 12.
            Finish SCMR 7.  Post shuttle through the dropped loop and close
CH: 7-7
R: 4+ (to space between top of previous SCMR and large R) 4+ (to p of next R of this 4-ring
             cluster) 8
CH: 5-5
Repeat from ** 10 more times, joining the picots of the CH 5-5. 
Join last CH to base of first SCMR.  Tie, cut and sew in ends.

I blocked this after each round.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

coronavirus doily, part 1

Because we have to amuse ourselves somehow...  and keeping our hands busy keeps our minds more peaceful, I offer the first part of a series

Coronavirus doily part 1



You will need a fully wound shuttle left attached to the ball.   You’ll also need a crochet hook and a paper clip.  Begin at the base of the block-tatted column, hang a paper clip on the thread between the shuttle and ball and snug the first stitch against it.

CH: 2-2
[ST, turn, -2+ 2] 18 more times.  At the end of the second row you’ll remove the paper clip and join into that space.
At the end of the 19th row, use the crochet hook to pull a loop of ball thread into the middle picot space and post the shuttle through.  Drop the ball thread to the back.
R: 2+ (into p space at closest end of row) 8-7-4.
R: 4+7-7-4.  Use shuttle thread to join again into the middle picot space of last row.
R: 4+7-7-4
R: 4+7-8+ (into p space at this end of the row) 2.
Special “trick” used here – with the front side of tatting facing you, pull up a loop of ball thread from the back to the front, about 2 rows down from the four ring cluster, and post shuttle through.  Pull up another loop in line with the previous one, also 2  rows down and post the shuttle through, and repeat until you’ve reached the bottom of the column.
Optional – R: 6-2-6.  (the rings at the end of each column are joined to each other at picots.  It makes a crowded center.  I was thinking of the world at that point and it made sense to me.  But you can also leave off those rings for a more streamlined look.
Finish the column by pulling up a loop of ball thread through the last picot  (the one on the right-hand-side of the column when it’s facing you and the rings are at the top. 
Begin the column again with CH: 2-2.  The left hand side of the column is joined twice to the corresponding right hand side of the previous column.

Continue until you have 11 joined columns.  The last column is joined to the first column and the previous column.  If you’re making the optional rings at the center, you can cut the ball thread and tat over that tail with the final ring, leaving you only one end to sew in.

When the center is complete, sew in end/s.