Pattern Disaster :(

I am really getting discouraged. No matter how much I learn, I always seem to be put back to beginner level with the very next thing I pick up. I picked up this pattern Double O Cross from Tatted Bookmarks by Barbara Foster. I made the first tiny ring, and immediately had no idea what to do next. They immediately say to make another ring... that would make it bare thread ring, but no, then they say to make a chain and somehow the chain is supposed to conned to the center picot, which is all wrong, as only rings are in the center picot. They don't say rw after the first ring, so it's not a ring on either side. I'm just so sad that I thought I had some experience and could do something, and immediately find myself lost, again. I found one person here who made it, that listed it as being nice and easy, and wrote to her, but apparently she isn't here much :(

This is the start, and I hit trouble right after the first ring:

Center: R 6, lp, 6 Cl (lp=large picot)

Bottom Arm:

R 6, sp, 6 Cl Rw.
Ch 6-6 Rw.
Join to center picot of last ring

Repeat from * to * 3 more times.

Calm down, Sandra. You have been doing excellent tatting. This isn't a problem with your tatting, but with interpreting the instructions. There are so many different ways to write out a pattern that it can get very confusing. Speaking of the pattern, can you give us a reference for this one? It looks like you make the first center ring, then proceed down the bottom of the cross with split rings and chains. The space in the instruction: R 6, sp, 6 Cl Rw. is the picot that you join to. At the very bottom the 5th ring down, you make a regular ring, then come back up with chains. This is followed by the first chain of the center and the next center ring, which will be attached to your long picot. From this second center ring, proceed in the same way for the side and top arms as for the bottom. If you have any further questions, let us know. It's actually a neat design. Where did you find it?

It was in my first post: Double O Cross from Tatted Bookmarks by Barbara Foster

I'm going to try to digest your instructions and see if I can grasp it. Thank you for taking the time :)

I can't visualize how the second ring in the pattern forms.

You know what? I badly misinterpreted this. On a second look, it doesn't look like it's split rings at all. Please ignore what I said about that above. I just tatted the part that you have shared from the instructions. You aren't told this, but you have to flip the first ring over. After you tat the first ring, you simply turn it upside down and than tat the second ring right against the bottom of it. There will not be any bare thread. Tat the second ring, then RW as normal and tat the chain. This will be joined to picot of the second ring. I used a lock join for this. Proceed from there. Don't beat yourself up about not understanding the instructions. Sometimes even the most careful tatter misses out on writing down what, to them, is an obvious step.

My apologies for muddying the water in my first post. I should have spent a little more time on it when I answered. I was in the middle of baking cookies, so that's my excuse for misinterpreting things on my first go. I should know by now that baking does not go well with enjoying Craftree.

I would suggest that this is an error on the designer's part and a good example of why we need technical editors in tatting! All patterns should be tech edited AND test tatted before publication IMHO

I considered that, but since the next line did say rw, I thought surely she would have mentioned it, so I had to be missing something more in the sci-fi tatting abilities.

I'm cleaning off the table (I hope) of bills that need filing and trying to find all the tax stuff mixed in. Will probably do the next ring and need help again! Thanks for trying it and giving your input :)

You can do this. It's not much different from anything you've already done. Just rings and chains. If in doubt, first examine the photo and, if necessary, use a pencil or crochet hook to trace the direction of the tatting. That often helps. And BTW, this is not a disaster. At least not on your part. It's a learning experience.

Yes, you can do this, @cozyhomelife!

I'll offer my description, in case it's helpful. You do the second ring, then do the chain to move to the "far end" of the ring and repeat the next ring and chain until you get to the bottom of the cross. Do one ring, then work your way back up to the centre with chains on the other side of the rings.

I second that motion! I find many, many patterns to be at least part "telegraphic". There is an assumption that the tatter is experienced enough to fill in or work around any glitches - which may or may not be true!

When my dad first wrote a knot tying instruction book initially intended for Boy Scouts, I helped with some the editing. The expectation was that I was to follow the directions EXACTLY as written and show him the result. Testing the knots I already knew how to tie was actually harder than testing novel ones. All assumptions had to be set aside. It was a fascinating process!

In the absence of tech editing and test tatting, perhaps Craftree has another calling - not only build a library of patterns, but also a library of pattern notes. Comments about favorite parts of a pattern, confusing elements and the like, even if they seem simple or "obvious" may be invaluable to a future tatter

@cozyhomelife
The instructions are correct, perhaps just not clear enough . But ALWAYS read pattern in conjuction with the diagram (if given) and the tatted model provided in picture. That way, a mistake or omission in one format can be rectified by tatter. Also, when I first read a pattern, I try to follow the stepwise path with my finger along the diagram/tatting. And there are times you may want to turn the pic around to orient correctly with working positions , not final-project position. Just a few tips, Sandra, that will hopefully help in future projects, too.

It is so easy to blame the designer for everything ;-P If detailed explanation is provided, tatters say it is so lengthy ; if assumptions are made because other visual cues are included, then we think not enough has been given. One Cannot satisfy each and every individual. Reading & interpreting patterns should be just as much of an exciting skill, with puzzle-solving thrill, as the actual tatting.

For this project :
You make ring 1 with large picot (6--6).
Now you kind of Rotate Work - a 180 ° rotation (Not Reverse work!) .
Tat 2nd ring which happens to be the start of the bottom arm. These 2 rings so far, form a letter 8 when closed. Can you see it in the model ?
Okay, now the thread coming out from this 2nd ring is at it's base , which also happens to be the same point as base of ring 1. Just a side note, to confirm orientation even without actually tatting it.
Now Reverse Work and tat a chain. This chain lies adjacent to Ring 2, coming from it's base up towards it's side. Thus it reaches the picot of ring2. Now join the chain to picot of ring 2.
Repeat the ring 2 and chain steps 3 more times.
Side note : the very first ring with long picot remains untouched throughout the entire working.
You now have 4 rings with a chain on their side. The long arm is just about to end. Only one last ring, then the return journey begins on the other side of the rings, mirroring the chains.
For the return, only chains are made and joined to same picot on each ring, till, you reach the central ring.
Continue with pattern.

Hope this helps ?
Happy tatting

Sometimes when we look at a pattern and see a particular construction...what you called the "Double O" , we assume that the two rings, one inside the other, will be tatted together, at the same time. In this case it doesn't match what the written pattern says. Instead, each of the outer O's will be tatted as CHAINs one half of a bunch of them, down the bottom arm, and then around the bottom, and as you return to the center, the other halves of the outer O will be finished again in chains, making it LOOK like they are rings.. So, they're not really double rings, but not traditional "split rings" either. So the next thing to look for is the "inner" rings. When are they tatted? Its between the chains on the left side.

Is the picture what you have done so far? If so, it looks beautiful! Its hard to figure out what the pattern is saying sometimes. You've been given some great advice and guidance here. Sometimes all it takes is to step away, take a breath, do something else for a bit and then try again. Best of luck to you!

Yes, I didn't think they were wrong, just that they left me stranded. I did do the tracing the pattern and have turned patterns around. I don't see the difference in what you are saying it is not rw, because I would be turning it upside down, just like making a chain rw NO WAIT, you mean that it's still upside down, it just didn't get turned to the other side! I GET IT! THANK YOU! I studied the picture hard, but was totally thrown because she didn't mention anything going on, but just moving on to the next ring. That caused me to doubt what I originally thought might be 2 rings, facing in opposite directions. I'm glad that others could settle that for me, as tatting, unlike crochet, is a lot more evil to take out. I will definitely, give this a while, and appreciate every thought, idea and instructions that everyone has given me. I hope to make you all proud of the effort you put in to get me over the hump!

in reply to cozyhomelife's post:

Glad you hot it :-)
Rotate Work is different from Reverse Work.
In tatting, if you cannot understand the pattern, look closely at the tatted model. Why ? Here is the reason :
The good thing about tatting is that the normal rings are teardrop shaped. So, you have a broad end and a narrow base from where the thread would've entered and also from where it leaves. Voilà, now you know the exit point, you know where the threads are supposed to be ; go back and read the instructions from that point onwards ......

Also, it is a fairly simple pattern - only regular rings and chains, all tatted in One Pass , with no split rings, etc.
If you look closely, many cues have been provided :
1. After Center, with ring stitches, she immediately goes to subtitle "Bottom Arm" ,.... and I presume the rest of pattern is similarly subtitled.

1. There are arrows in pic, to indicate where to start, and the direction in which to proceed.

Yet another thing. When you start tatting, you can orient the pattern to follow your working order ; it might prove easier perhaps ? My This Way or Tat (TWoT) series aims at simplifying just these kinds of situations.

Hope to see the finished product soon now :-)

I know it may not seem like I did, but I really did do all the steps you are mentioning. I just didn't trust myself, because I would have thought the pattern would have mentioned changing course, and so thought I had to be seeing it wrong/missing something, afraid to trust myself. If I had went ahead with my thought of it being upside down from the first ring, I still would have made the error though, I would have rw and then when I got there, figured I would have to shoelace to get the thread in the right place. So, I'm glad I asked, because that would have made the whole thing more complicated, and knowing to just rotate it has made it easy. I have done the first 2 rings and chain, and then my 2 minutes to myself were up and the pets started dancing for their food, then hubby started asking for his snack. Now the dog is in my chair with my tatting stuff and I wonder if I can squeeze in there, and get in another 2 minutes, before someone calls my name! I want to keep going on this!

Go for it, Sandra. Uproot the dog, muzzle the hubby, hide in your bedroom, or in the attic. Whatever it takes. You're on a roll.

My best time to get a GOOD lot of time (no interruptions) is in the wee hours. I'm a night owl, so I'm smarter at night too - I'm a real dullard in the morning with a brain that is only half working. I have finished almost the whole bottom part, but my neck began to ache and I had to throw in the towel for the night, 5am here and going to bed! I can see there is a lot of learning and skill to get from this. I continue to have to pay close attention to the orientation, as making rings in this way is unusual, and I have to pay close attention to the orientation of the chains. The funny thing is, since I just learned split rings, I chose this one from the book browsing, and then realized it had no split rings!

I do believe you tried many different ways to figure out the path ! But obviously you did not (and could not) list out each and every step you took right ? This should give an insight into what the pattern writer has to deal with -- what and how much to include, to explain, ..... when will it be too much or too little -- hence it calls for some judicious & practical decision making.
Let me assure you that if the designer had said 'rotate work', there would Still be someone questioning the presentation. There is no standardisation in terminology, presentation, etc. , hence we continue to struggle .

For me, tatting is a creative pursuit, and part of the creativity lies in deciphering the pattern through various clues provided, as well as fill in any blanks. I was just as clueless as you till a couple years back ; with help from generous tatters here and continuous practice and experimentation, one gets better and better.

I am so very glad you are well on your way towards this learning & improvement, despite the colourful scenario you painted :-D
Hugs

I also think like you, that tatting patterns are a mystery, and one must do detective work on it. I feels a lot better when you figure it out, then when your brain just goes splat! I guess a perfect answer for me, would have said: DNRW. 2nd ring forms opposite the first. But, I digress. Thank God I'm past that part. I can not say that I feel I'm doing an excellent job on this, but I do feel like I'm learning a lot. I've made things that you came back around the edge with a chain, but came together differently. I have people who've seen some things I made and immediately ask me if I sell them. I keep telling them, "no, I only have that one, I keep going to the next project so I can keep learning new skills".

Sandra, interpreting patterns is an ongoing learning curve, but a skill one must develop. After you finish a section or element, stop and compare it to the photo and/or diagram. If it's written out, as in your pattern, compare each knot with each part of the instructions. That way you will better remember next time what the pattern should look like in comparison to the instructions. The problem comes in that are there are several different ways of writing the instructions. As Muskaan has noted above, none of them are perfect, and someone is always going to have a problem with whichever set of instructions they are using. But by paying careful attention to what your hands are doing in comparison to what the instructions are telling you they should be doing will certainly give you an advantage when you face the next set of instructions. It also helps to read through the instructions, trace out the diagram and study the photo before loading your shuttles or threading your needle. In a lot of cases, comparing the instructions to what you see in the photo is helpful as well. Sometimes even the most careful edit will miss something, and unfortunately, some edits are very poor indeed. But the more you learn, the more likely you are to recognize problems and be able to compensate for them. And never never never never never never never hesitate to post any queries you may have. That's what we're here for.

Yea, I do those things, but just couldn't grasp it, like you say, guess I'll grasp it the next time I see it! That's why I keep moving to another new project, so I can keep learning. I talked to an old aquaintance that I used to quilt with. I saw her on pinterest saving the same TATTING pics that I was. I contacted her and she said she'd been tatting for 50 years! I sure wish I had 50 years under my belt, oh the years I've wasted, that I could have been tatting!

But you were quilting! That's not wasted time. But, this is exciting news about your friend. Are you close enough that you could conceivably ask her to show you stuff when you hit a snag?

And good on you for taking on the things you do in order to learn more. What a great attitude. BTW, I remember when you first started posting and sharing your learning experience. Just look how far you've already come. I'm proud of you, for whatever that may be worth.

It's within a reasonable distance, but the way my life goes, because I'm 24/7 sole caregiver to my stroke hubby, who is heavily handicapped since his stroke, I'm not free to be gone much. Fortunately, I love being home and with him, so I don't feel sad about it. I actually have some crafters that meet only minutes from my house, and only make it a few times a year. It takes all morning to get him up, cleaned up, dressed, out to the tv room or screened porch, and start the day-food & meds. So, technically, yes, I could go, they even have a group!, but realistically, if I'm not making it to the one a few minutes away, making it to one 45 min away, isn't going to happen. I can't believe the clocks are going back an hour soon! DOH!

EDIT: yes Judy, you are right! I meant to say forward, because I adore it when the go back! I would actually love it if they went back everytime, hee, hee!

Hm... I think the clocks spring Forward.. Anyway, a few years back there was a very popular website called Free Tatting --- it had a photo of the item.. medallion, earring, etc. Very nice pieces. The instructions were in ... russian, .. and had only a cyrillic character for ring, character for chain, usual numbers, and - or , for picot . That's it!! no starting point, no RW no close, no join, .. Beginners, who were struggling with directions like you, gravitated to them, thinking that the directions were simple. No they weren't simple, they were ABSENT. You had to be an experienced tatter to fill in the blanks.