Weekly Challenge #30 Beaded Christmas Wreath
Welcome back to the Wednesday Weekly Challenge.
I am still in the Christmas Rush. I would like to send out a tatted piece with each Christmas card I send this year. That is ALLOT of tatting. I decided to go with a pattern from “Tatting With Visual Patterns” by Mary Konoir. I included a picture down below. In her book, she calls this pattern “Posy” and it does not included the beaded accents. I started replacing picots with different beads and different counts to get different results. That is how I came up with this weeks challenge. This is a two part challenge. Part one, make the wreath I designed to show how bead placement works. Part two, add beads to a boring old motif to make it Fabulous!
There are 3 basic bead uses in tatting (least that I know about) Bead either sits on the tatting, in the tatting, or is placed on the picot as it is being joined, placing the bead between the tatting. I made the following wreath motif to include each method. Hopefully, by the time your done, you will feel more confident then when you started.
To make the bead sit on top of the tatting, the beads must be on the thread around your last hand. When stringing beads, this means the beads need to be strung based on where they are being used. If they are being used on a chain, they need to be strung on the ball thread. If they are being used on a ring, they need to be strung on the shuttle thread. When making a ring, slide the proper amount of beads down the thread so they are included on the thread around the hand. When needed, just slide the proper bead count into place and treat as a picot. I used this with the light gold beads on the rings in the pattern.
To make the beads sit inline with the tatting, the beads need to be placed on the shuttle thread until slid into place. Keep the beads wound on the shuttle till needed, slide down bead, the DS on the other side. I used this technique on the putter chains of this pattern. This method can make chains longer and rings bigger so you might have to lower stitch counts if you use it extensively.
Finally, the easiest way to add beads to a piece is to add them to picots, because since they are added as you go, they don’t need to be prestrung. Picots must be at least twice as long as the bead is tall so a join can be made. Depending on th size of the bead, a size 12 or 14 crochet hook is needed. Note: adding a bead to a picot will add a definite space between the tatting being joined so can cause very obvious changes in how a pattern looks when finished.
Now that you have decided how you want to use the beads, you need to decide on the order to string them on the thread. All beads strung need to be strung in the opposite order of use. The first bead on is the last bead off. To through your pattern and write down the beads in the order of use then simple string them backwards. For this pattern, you want to string the beads for the chains first, the the rings. The pattern is CCCBBB x7. You will end up with 42 beads, all on the shuttle thread. I used size 11 beads for B & C, and E-beads for the JBs. Now lets start the pattern.
C = Chain Bead
B = Ring Bead
LP= Long Picot
JB= Bead Join
Each ring starts with 3 beads on the thread around the left hand.
Start
Ring 1= 5 B 3 LP 5 B 5 LP 3 B 5
Chain 1= 3 LP 5 C 5 C 5 C 5 LP 3
*Ring 2-6 = 5 B 3 JB 5 B 5 LP 3 B 5
Chain 2-6 = 3 JB 5 C 5 C 5 C 5 LP 3 *
Ring 7 = 5 B 3 JB 5 B 5 JB 3 B 5
Chain 7 = 3 JB 5 C 5 C 5 C 5 JB 3
Cut, tie, and hide your ends.
Hope you enjoy adding beads to your next tatting pattern. They not only add sparkle, they are a great way to make a popular pattern yours.
Davina-Marie
If you have a free pattern you would like to see featured as part of the Weekly Challenge – let us know by leaving a comment or by sending an email to sbspokane@yahoo.com
Challenge Issued: Follow the linked pattern in any color combinations and thread sizes you choose. [Variations of the pattern are welcome and encouraged.] Then snap a picture and send it to sbspokane@yahoo.com with the subject line “Weekly Challenge” to see your completed work featured as part of next week’s challenge post. Be sure to include the name you wish us to list with your photo – we want to give you credit! [There is no time limit on sending in your picture – feel free to send in any weekly challenge pictures (from last week or weeks/months ago) and we will feature them as part of the next Wednesday’s post.]
Challenge Accepted:
Challenge Accepted - Paprika the Dragon - Tatted by Claire in Lizbeth Blue River Glades,
size 20.
oclairedelune.wordpress.com
Take a look at all previous challenges and reader submissions here: https://sbspokane.wordpress.com/wednesdays-weekly-challenges/
#23 – Pumpkin Earrings * #22 – Meandering Path * #21 – TARDIS * #20 – Luna Moth * #19 – Little Owl Earrings * #18 – Hedgehog * #17 – Flower *#16 – Mrs. Platt’s Baby Booties * #15 – Tat It And See 2013 * #14 – Sweetheart Snowflake * #13 – Ringtrim – A Microdragon * #12 – Clover Drop Heart * #11 – Morgan Mouse * #10 – Accidental Hearts * #9 – Tatted Snail * #8 – Tatted Cameo Pendant * #7 – Wedding Garter * #6 – Remembrance Ring * #5 – Pretty Tatted Kitty * #4 – 5 Point Celtic Motif * #3 – Triangular Motifs * #2 – Dragon * #1 – Butterfly
Shuttlebirds 
Written by Shuttlebirds
on November 6, 2013
2 Comments