January 27 - Easy Cross variation on Beeton's edging

This pretty little cross is SO SIMPLE TO TAT!!!!
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Prfect for a beginner or a child to tat once the ring, chain, and join have been mastered... or while trying to perfect them :-)

It is just the edging from Beeton's book that we have been doing for the past two days, with a few corners. Here is a diagram to make it easy to follow:

Start where indicated on the diagram. Follow the arrows around. The rings go in ABC order, the chains are tatted where shown in photo and diagram.

Rings are all 10-10 (or 10 + 10 for the joins), chains are all 8-8 the same as in the edging.
When all the rings are completed tat the last chain section: Chain 8
Then tat another Chain 8 with the thread ends you left at the beginning of the cross.

Tie the core [ Shuttle ] threads from the beginning and the end together in a square knot, and tie the other two ends in a square knot. Hide the ends and cut close to the work, or use them to add a tassel.

A tassel may be added at the bottom, and a cord or loop may be added to the picot at the top. Great for a bookmark, gift, or something to tuck in a card for someone special. Since it's only January you have plenty of time to tat these for Easter. You'll be surprised how fast and easy this one goes, especially once you get some practice.

I used size 20 thread and my finished cross is about 2.5" wide by 3" tall not counting the tassel. To make a tassel, wrap two strands of thread, one of each color if your tatting is two colors like the one I did, around your hand about 5-10 times.

The thread loop is about twice as long as the tassel you want. Bigger is OK. Cut the threads, and fold in half. Put the middle of the tassel threads around the thread ends from the cross, and then put the tassel thread ends through the loop of tassel threads. See the diagram below.

Pull the thread ends from the tatted piece through the loop of the tassel so the tassel is snug at the bottom of the cross, then tie the threads from the cross together in a square knot securing the tassel to the piece. Then pull them down through the loop of the tassel with a crochet hook or the hook on a tatting shuttle. Cut all the ends to length, about the same length as the cross looks good for this piece.

Enjoy!!! Happy Tatting