And when I say finished, I mean finished tatting. My blocking board isn't large enough to handle larger items. I will have to get something larger pretty soon. I'm sure I will need it for the Jan Stawasz Masterpiece Doily. It measures about 9 inches in diameter. Since it's not blocked, that's not very exact. I'll post proper measurements after it's block. As per usual, I used Manuela no. 20 thread in colour number A058.
I started the Jan Stawasz Masterpiece Doily AKA The Monster Doily. Here is the first round:
I blocked it after I tatted it this afternoon. It was cupping a bit. Sadly, I fear this will be a constant problem-again. Since I don't read Polish, I don't know what Jan says about the pattern in the magazine. Using Google Translate on my phone didn't help much (the word garlic kept coming up). I did go back to one of his books and read about his method of tatting. He mentions making joining picots very small, "as small as possible", to make the pattern nice and stable. The centre flattens out nicely, but I don't know about the next rounds. I started the second round after the centre was dry and photographed, and while it's not cupping yet, it looks like it might after I have made several more repeats. How did everyone else who tatted this doily make out? Did you guys make your joining picots very small? Did all the rounds work out regardless of picot size (they were "average size", not too big)? Since I am right at the beginning I might restart the doily now and try smaller joining picots. It was a pretty quick tat. Since I foresee me working on this for a while, I don't want to screw it up too badly now. I've had this issue with Jan's patterns in the past, and it is my main frustration with his patterns. And yes, I know I might be worrying about a nonissue here. I would love people's thoughts on this though. I don't want to have to block every row before tatting the next one, especially once it's larger than a foot or so in diameter (remember it'll be over 30 inches in diameter once completed, give or take). Oh, the thread is Manuela no. 20 in colour #a022. I'll be honest here, I really like this colour.
That's about it for now. I have to get ready for bed and I have a number deal with before I go to bed. Till next time.
Congratulations on finishing Corona! I haven't attempted the monster Doily so can't help you, but I'm wondering whether you'll be able to stick with it for as long as it takes without getting sidetracked into a smaller piece!
ReplyDeleteThanks! To be honest, I don't know, I am going to try. I am sure I will work on other things while I am working on the Monster. We'll see.
DeleteI love the Coronna too.
DeleteThanks Zarina! Glad you like it.
DeleteI made small picots and had that same problem you do in center, I also tug very snug and after closing a ring I straighten it a bit through out. On this center part I pressed with iron (and block it when I want to take a break) and after a few more rounds the doily does not seem to have any more problems, You will feel better as you go along I think ds counts are better as you go and the weight of the doily holds itself down it and I advise to keep going and you will block or press way less as you go. I am very happy now and am on round 13. this is Carollyn from Carollyn's tatting blog
ReplyDeleteHmm. If you did small picots, and both Fox, Jane. E and I did average, maybe it's just how the pattern works. I haven't restarted yet, so I will keep going. I am pleased that it gets better. I'll have to check out your blog Carollyn when I get chance. Nice to know you name.
DeleteI'm glad that I 'caught' your post. Plan to attempt his masterpiece doily but I am not tatting as much as I would love to. If you say that Jane E is doing it average and will continue read your progress - I think it would be ok for me. I too am not able to make picots that small. Let's just say that my picots can be large - even the joining ones.
DeleteFrom looking at Jane's photos, I believe her picots are average. It hard to be completely sure. She's also using beads on some picots which would keep some picots on the small side. I'm working on round 3 now, and my picots don't seem to be a problem, for now. You should try it anyway. You never know how it will turn out.
DeleteP.S. Like Corona that's a real nice doily!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I like the way it turned out too.
DeleteThe Corona is really pretty! Good luck with the monster doily. I can see you'd want to sort out any issues before you get too far. I think there's quite a bit of discussion about it on Craftree.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane! If I can sort out any issues before hand, I'd like to. That's the nice thing about starting out after a number of other people; I can learn from their mistakes-and of course the ones I'm sure to make too. I haven't been to Craftree since inTatters moved there.
DeleteSeems I had the sme issue, but it resolved itself after it began to grow a few rows. I'm always trying to get my picots smaller, and after years of trying, they are still pretty hefty!
ReplyDeleteNice beginning a lovely colour. : )
That's kinda good to know. I'm glad to hear several of you mention that it resolves itself out later one. At this point, my fingers make picots pretty much the same size. It takes some work for me to make smaller picots if needed. I stopped trying to make them smaller. The size I make works for most patterns.
DeleteThanks! Glad you like it.
Your Corona doily is wonderful!! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I am sure your Monster Doily will be fabulous too!!! :)
Thanks! Looking at everyone else's versions, I think it will be too.
DeleteCorona is beautiful! If you're looking for blocking boards, I recently purchased a set of kids' puzzle mats for about $15 on Amazon. They're about 12" square and there are 9 of them, so you can make your blocking board the size you need for your project. The ones marketed for knitting are almost twice the price!
ReplyDeleteAs for the JS doily, I'm terrible at making my picots a regular size, so I almost always use a picot gauge. I did try to make my joining picots smaller. Rather than wetting and pinning as I went along, I used my steam iron. I'll do a good blocking when I finish.
Diane - I am reading your posts so looks that I may have to take out my picot gauge. I only used it once because I had a horrible time with a doily that needs extremely huge picots.
DeleteThank you for sharing about the kid's mats. I bought that ages ago but did not get much use (must remember for the daily 7mo nephew).
Thanks Diane! I'm pleased with how Corona turned out. Thanks for the tip for blocking boards. I have come across that one before but never bought any. I'll keep it in mind.
DeleteI'm now working on the third round, and so far so good. I may be alright now. I can make my picots pretty consistent in size now, but like Fox, I can't get them much smaller without a lot of effort. I find picot gauges very tedious to use and they slow me down considerably. I'll try the steam iron idea, as needed.
Your Corona is beautiful. I seriously considered having a line tattooed on my finger to use as a gauge for picots. But, then I'd need a 1/4 inch and a 1/2 inch etc. etc. etc. :{
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you like it. I think someone actually tried that already, Fox I think. It didn't work too well if I remember correctly, but I'm sure something could be made to work.
ReplyDeleteI really like your Corona doily. Those sequences of chains can be difficult to do evenly but yours are really well executed and the whole doily shape with its triangular elements is very appealing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely Corona Doily! It's on my list of doilies to tat...
ReplyDeleteI'm on Round 9 of the Jan Stawasz Big Doily. My Round 1 did cup a bit, and others' did as well. But, for all of us, it flattened out okay. I'm not happy with my Round 3, though - the chains are too slack and floppy. If I have enough thread left at the end of the doily, I might go back and redo Rounds 1-3, and see if I can replace the centre! BTW, I've been very lazy to update my blog, but you can find my progress pictures in Craftree.