March 19 - Clouds by Ruth

Copyright 2007 Ruth Perry


When you look at clouds in the sky what do you see? I see dragons and puppies and sailing ships and flowers. Clouds are as different from each other as different can be. So how do we tat clouds? They are fluffy white bits of fluff in the blue sky.

I tatted this little cloud in split rings, with an occasional ring thrown off. I don't want to give you the exact instructions to tat THIS cloud. Instead, I will tell you how to tat any cloud.

2 shuttles one wound with sky blue, and one with an off white cloud color, possibly a blue and white variegated thread would work well also.

Instructions:

The basic ring has 6 white picots and 6 blue picots.

Split Ring ( white 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 / blue 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 ) tat over all the ends with the blue so there are no thread ends to hide later.

Repeats:
Split Ring ( white 1 + 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 / blue 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 ) ( A )
The join is to the previous ring to give the piece some stability.

Curves:
Split Ring ( 1 + 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 / 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1) slight curve ( B )

Split Ring ( 1 + 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 / 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1) strong curve ( C)

Split Ring ( 1 + 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 -1 -1 / 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 ) reverse curve ( D)

Split Ring ( 1 + 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 / 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 ) strong reverse curve ( E )

A thrown off ring can be tatted from the second half of any split ring. Here is one in white:
Split Ring ( blue 1 + 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 -1 -1 / white 1 - 1 - 1 [ Ring 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 ] 1 - 1 - 1 ) ( F )

To make the sharp corners omit the join, and allow the rings to overlap each other. For some variety tat a bit of chain in blue or white with picots every stitch between rings.

Cloud section sample:
CCCBBBAADDDEEEF join the thrown off ring of F to the first C ring

The clouds can be as varied as your immagination allows!
More clouds tomorrow.