Needle tatting terms and first little project

Been a long time since I’ve been out here, but I think this is the perfect place to post information and patterns and just what I’m up too! (It’s always something new and different.) so, to support my YouTube channel, DPC Fiber Arts, and the video on reading a pattern I’m listing common tatting abbreviations and the pattern for a small first motif using the ring and chain we’ve been learning from my series of videos. Here’s the youtube link to my tutorial to learn needle tatting:
DPC Fiber Arts: Learn Needle Tatting

First, the basic abbreviations:
ch.   chain
cl r.  close ring
ds.   double stitch, also called a larks head knot
j.      join, often followed by instructions on where to join to.
k.     overhand knot
p.     picot
R /r. ring often the R is a large ring, and the r. is a small ring
rw.   reverse work
t.      turn, same as reverse work
Josephine ring or chain - formed by making only the first half (or second half) of the double stitch

For a complete list, this site is a great resource: abctattingpatterns

First little motif pattern. 

   

This little flower motif was made from #10 crochet cotton and a #5/0 needle. The center with the  open circle can be filled with French knots or a bead or? when you attach the tatting.  I'll show you how to incorporate beads into your work at a later date.

First Little Flower Motif

1^stR. - 3ds, p, 3ds, lg p, 3 ds p, 3ds, cl r, k, rw.

Ch- 4 ds, p, 4 ds, k, rw 

*R - 3 ds, j to first p of first r, 3 ds, j to center p of 1^str, 3ds, p, 3ds, dcl r, k, rw.

Ch - 4 ds, p, 4 ds, k, rw.

Repeat from * 2 more times.

Last R – 3 ds, j to first p of first r, 3 ds, j to center p of 1^str, 3 ds j to last p of 1^str, 3ds, cl r, k, rw

Ch - 4 ds, j all central p leaving the same amt. of thread as your other p, 4 ds, k, rw.

Finishing: pull needle through base of first r and ch, k, pull ends back through work and clip ends.

This motif was done with the same thread, but a 3/0 needle. A bit big for this thread. I also made a Josephine chain with one large picot, then brought the tail back through the entire Josephine ring and all the chains going around the rings. That helped clean up the floppies from using a larger needle. The chains were modified by adding a small picot on either side of the larger central picot.

The modified pattern reads like this:

First R. - 3ds, p, 3ds, lg p , 3ds, p, 3ds, cl r, k, rw.

Ch. 4ds, sm p, lg p, sm p, 4ds, k, rw.

* R - 3ds, j to 1st p of previous ring, 3ds, j to lg. p. of first r, 3ds, p, 3ds, cl r, k rw.

Ch. 4ds, sm p, lg p, sm p, 4ds, k, rw.

Repeat 2 more times from *

Last R- 3ds, j to 1st p of previous r, 3ds, j to large central p, 3ds, j to last p of first r, 3 ds, cl r, k, rw.

Last ch -  4ds, sm p, lg p, sm p, 4ds, k, rw.

pull needle through base of first r and ch, k.

Josephine knot:  20, p, 12, k, finish.

(remember, the Josephine knot is simply the first half of the ds repeated.)

Play around with modifications - groups of picots, lengths of picots, number of rings, lengths of chains and sizes of rings.

Have fun!