The Piney Woods Tatter: Meet Plain Jane

Renovations

Good morning, dear readers!

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Plain Jane :

I have not permanently attached the pieces as I plan to further enhance Plain Jane and turn her into Lady Jayne. If you wish to complete her as she is, simply attach the pieces with jump rings and add an adjustable chain length with a clasp of your choice to the side pieces.

To make things easier to find for those who did not participate in the tat-along, here are all of the steps:

Using a size 7 tatting needle and a ball of size 8 Valdani Pearl Cotton in M49 "Subtle Elegance", tat 6 ICRs with the following counts:

ICR 11 followed by 5 graduated picots (sm, med, lg, med, sm) 11 CL

ICR 13 very small - 13 CL

Tat 3 of each, alternating for a total of 6 ICRs. Tie, hide ends & cut.

(For a tutorial on needle tatting ICRs, click here.)

R 11 + (to very small - of previously tatted ICR) 11 CL RW

CH 3 very sm- 3 followed by 3 graduated picots (sm, med, sm) 3 very sm- 3 CL RW

R 11 + (to med - of previously tatted ICR) 11 CL RW

CH 3 very sm- 3 followed by 3 graduated picots (sm, med, sm) 3 very sm- 3 CL RW

R 7 + (to lg - of previously tatted ICR) 7 CL RW

CH 3 very sm- 3 followed by 3 graduated picots (sm, med, sm) 3 very sm- 3 CL RW

R 11 + (to med - of previously tatted ICR) 11 CL RW

CH 3 very sm- 3 followed by 3 graduated picots (sm, med, sm) 3 very sm- 3 CL RW

R 11 + (to very small - of previously tatted ICR) 11 CL RW

You will continue around the motif, joining the final CH to base of first R tatted. Tie, hide ends & cut.

The above is what Plain Jane will look like after tatting the two interwoven chain rounds. They both have a stitch count of 23. Begin by running the needle through the very small picot to the left of the 3 graduated picots of any previously tatted CH. CH 23 CL + to corresponding very small picot on next previously tatted CH. Continue around the motif. Join last CH to the base of the first, tie, hide ends & cut. This is what it should look like:

To tat the second CHs to interweave, run needle through very small picot on the right of the graduated picot grouping of any previously tatted CH. Cut off a long length of thread from ball as this is your working thread. I use a second needle on this end to help weave my work. CH 23 CL, pull work around previously tatted CH, + to corresponding very small picot to the right of the graduated picot grouping on the next chain. Pull both threads through and continue around motif. Join last CH at the base of the first CH. Tie, hide ends & cut.

Tat 3 ICRs, all with the counts of :

ICR 13 followed by 3 very small picots 13 CL.

Tie, hide ends & cut.

The next step is to tat the 3 rounds of CHs around the ICR foundation. ALL CHs are the same count. Run needle through/join at 1st very small picot and CH 31 CL + to next corresponding very small picot. Repeat, tie hide ends and cut. Do the same for the second and third CH rounds around the ICR foundation, weaving them as you go.

These ICRs will form a chain on each side of the focal point. You will need 12 for each side. Of course, each tatter may wish to adjust the number of ICRs to make a necklace to her/his preferred length. The counts are:

ICR 11 very small- 11 CL