February 22 - 1894 Flower doily

Original Instructions:

This is from September 1894 publication called "The Delineator" p.363

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Modern Instructions Copyright 2007 Ruth Perry

Two shuttles wound CTM or one shuttle and a generous thread end left at the beginning to finger tat the split rings. Note there are 15 rosettes in this doily. The first two in every group of three may be tatted with just a little thread for the split rings, while the third rosette should have the second shuttle wound with enough thread to tat the outside round as well as the split rings. I don't much like tie & Cut so this is a beautiful example of how split rings make tatting easier and better!!! Of course if you don't know split rings, you can still tat each of the rows separately and tie and cut at the end of each, then hide the ends. :-( or go learn split rings! :-)

Follow the ABC order of the rings. The first and last rings B, C, & Y are diagramed to show the 1st & 2nd shuttle threads for the split rings.

Center
RingA: 2.5 - 2.5 - 2.5 - 2.5 - ( repeat until there are 11 picots with two and a half stitches between picots and two and a half stitches between at the beginning and end of this ring)

Tatting with two and a half stitches between picots may take some getting used to, and it is not "right side, wrong side" as both sides are the same. But I does work for this rosette.

Middle & outside rows:
These are tatted in one round, alternating middle, outside, middle, etc.
Use both threads from the center (forming a mock 12th picot) to tat RingB as a split ring (2 - 2 / 2 - 2)

RingC and all the outside rings are 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 with joins to the side picot of the previous adjacent ring, with the exception of the first which doesn't have a previous ring to join to, and the final ring which is different ( refer to the diagram and the instructions at the bottom of this pattern)

Reverse Work (Turn it around so the previous ring is opposite the next ring)

RingD and all the middle rings are 2 + 2 + 2 - 2 with joins to the side picot of the previous adjacent ring and to a picot of the center.

Reverse Work

Repeat around following the diagram. Join the final middle row ring as shown to the previous ring in this row and to the center and to the first ring in this row.

The final outside row ring is a split ring.
For the first two rosettes in a group of three tat it:

SplitRing (4 + 4 - 4 / 4 ) tie the ends through the picot of the first ring in this round. (see diagram)

For the third rosette which will climb out to tat the reverse chain around the outside tat it:

SplitRing (4 + 4 / 4 + 4) Leave threads for mock picot and then tat the first ring in the border:
SplitRing (4 - 4 / 4 - 4) turn

Reverse Stitch Chain ( 4 - 4 ) turn
(Riego called the direct tatted stitches r st.)

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This would work up better than the one I did in the diagram with the thread spaces between the rings a little smaller than what I tatted. But this was my first try at this pattern. Join rosettes together, and the outside border as shown in the original photo. Enjoy!