Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Of Plans and Internet Connections!

My plan was to have this up early for your tatting pleasure - and I started early, and it should have been up around 6:00 this morning; but for whatever reason, my Internet connection took a little vacation.  It was frustrating for me, because I had to leave for work - but here it is finally, and there's still a whole day to tat one (or many) before St Patrick's Day.  I'm just glad the "save" worked!

St Patrick's Day is Thursday - a day when you see shamrocks everywhere!  I sketched out this shamrock last Friday, then tatted it, tweaked it, and wrote it up Saturday; it's been test-tatted; and here it is.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Irish for a Day
© 2011 Sharren Sarver Morgan

2 shuttles (or 1 shuttle and a lot of finger tatting)

Sh 1 is your knotting thread (it has the most thread); Sh2 is your working shuttle (with about 1½ - 2 feet of thread).

SCMR1:         2^2 SS (R2: 6^6. SS) 2^2^2 SS (R3: 6^6. SS) 2^2^2 SS (R4: 6^6. SS) 2^2. DNRW

The rest of the shamrock is chains; continue with Sh2 as your working shuttle and Sh1 as your knotting thread.

Ch:                  *2 + (lock join to next ^ on SCMR1) 17^1 + (lock join to ^ on next R thrown off SCMR1) 1+ (to ^ on previous Ch) 17 + (lock join to next ^ on SCMR1); repeat from * around.  Finish with 2 + (lock join to base of SCMR1).

I do a lock-stitch chain about 1½”, knot the threads firmly in a double overhand knot and clip.

18 comments:

  1. Sharren, this is so lovely! Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  2. Now that's VERY pretty and extremely clever.

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  3. It is a lovely shamrock and hopefully if I get time tomorrow will make it for some Irish friends of mine before the "big day". Thanks very much for the pattern.

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  4. Lovely shamrock! Great shape. Thank you for sharing the pattern.
    Fox : )

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  5. This is a great pattern & I loved tatting it!

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  6. I'll be trying this out soon! Thanks.

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  7. i tatted this up and i love it. thank you for such a great pattern!

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  8. Just saw the shamrock on CrazyMom's blog and came right over to check out the pattern. Your designs are always so clever!

    Since this project doesn't require much shuttle winding, I will pause my previous plan (digital scrapbooking and playing with Mod Podge) and tat one up. Love the Name!

    And thank you for sharing this shamrock with us! I am amazed at how quickly you turned this pattern around. My attempts at design always involve much teeth-gnashing and hair-pulling. No truer testament to talent can there be.

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  9. Hi Sharren! Thanks to your excellent pattern, I tatted my shamrock last night and couldn't wait to post about it on my blog today (St. Patrick's Day)!

    I will proudly wear it this evening when we go out to dinner! Mine certainly isn't as perfect as yours, and it was my first SCMR - plus I now have to research how to make a lock-stitch chain! Always something new to learn!

    I enjoy reading your blog! I'm intrigued that you use caret symbols for picots. I like that idea, as they can easily be counted.

    Thanks again for sharing this clever pattern!

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  10. There are several ways to do a lock-stitch chain, Kathy, but the way I always do it is: thread in chain position, working with Sh2:
    first half of the stich = flipped
    second half of the stitch = not flipped

    Do this until you have the length you need, or until you're totally sick of it.

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  11. Thanks, everyone, for your kind words - I hope your St Patrick's Day brings you health, wealth, and happiness - and may your threads never tangle!

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  12. Thanks for sharing the pattern. It was just right and I love how it tats up. My friend pinned the shamrock to her shirt today and got lots of compliments.

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  13. Love your shamrock, always great to have another pattern, thanks for sharing.

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  14. Can't wait to try the lock-stitch chain - thanks so much for the instructions!!!

    I got many compliments on my pendant yesterday at the restaurant, and received lovely comments on my post! I have plans to put the shamrock in some new paperweights that I found, and will give them to my cousins as gifts!

    I'm sure you will see your "Irish for a Day" shamrock sprouting up all over Tatland! Thank you again for sharing this excellent pattern.

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  15. Very much enjoyed this pattern, my first attempt at a SCMR and I managed it somehow with the help of Jane Eborall's little instruction page :-) It was nice to have something small to learn that technique on and the shamrock came out nicely...thank you!!!

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    1. I've lost my picture both here and other places. Trying to figure out the problem....sorry!

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