Teddy Bear pattern coming soon!

I'm so excited. I finally typed up my teddy bear pattern! While testing the written pattern, I played with a few seasonal variations. Watch for a link to the pattern soon. I've offered it to Georgia Seitz for the online class, but I will provide a link to the pattern from here once it is posted on the internet.

Valeire Square Teardrop & Heart

Over a year ago, Georgia Seitz challenged me to create a heart pattern using the Valeire Square, but my brain just couldn't seem to pull it together. When we came in from our Independence Day activities last night, I suddenly felt inspired to work on it with thread and shuttle as well as paper and pencil. After ditching a few more complicated efforts that I just couldn't get to work, the simple design below was born. It is so simple you may wonder what took me so long! I certainly do.

Enjoy!

Valeire Square Teardrop & Heart by Eliz Davis: One second shuttle ring turns the square into a teardrop. Then two chain segments complete the transformation to heart.

Round 1: (Note that there are NO joins in this round.)
*R 8-8, cl. R 8-8, cl, rw.
Ch 5-5, cl, rw.*
Repeat from * to * until you have 4 pairs of rings and four chains.

Use the alligator join to climb out of round 1 and into round 2.

Round 2: (Note that you are joining adjacent rings together by joining into the picot of two rings at the same time.)
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join two adjacent rings together)

Without reversing work, tat a ring of 2-2-2-1—1-2-2-2 (to avoid the need for a second shuttle for one ring, I used the shoelace trick before and after the ring)
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join into the space at the base of the next pair of rings). Continue the progression of chains until you have joined back where you started this round. Finish as desired.

Round 3: Beginning at the second chain join past the ring of round 2, join and make a chain of 2 ds, 18 picots separated by 2 ds, 2 ds. Join to round two opposite the ring. Repeat the chain of 18 picots and join opposite to your starting point. The picture provided will be a helpful guide.

Note: Size 10 thread will produce a heart approximately 3 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches wide.

Summer Update

While I've been catching up on the housework this summer, I've also been spending some time catching up on changes in internet tatting sites. I've really enjoyed drooling over all of the lovely work I've found. A few more patterns have been added to my "must tat" stack. Tatting time is almost here! By Monday I hope to have started something. I'm ready with thread, patterns, shuttles, and even a few design ideas of my own.

Many thanks to all of you tatters who are sharing your work and your patterns on the internet. It is inspiring to visit your webpages even when I'm too busy to do any tatting myself.

Happy tatting, everyone!