Tatting Pattern Calendar: March 6 - Clover Wheel by Ruth

I designed this some time ago, and promised it to someone in time for Christmas. I didn't make it in time for last Christmas.

BTW, a considerable incentive for me to do this tatting pattern calendar was to motivate me to actually write down the instructions for patterns I have designed but never written the instructions. I am doing it for this year only. If someone else would like to carry on with it next year, just let me know.

The inspiration for this pretty clover wheel is the Riego wheel in the Parasol cover in The Irish Lace Instructor. This one is considerably different. The Riego wheel has a flower motif in the center, not a clover. I figured one could put anything inside the wheel. It took a LOT of experimenting to get everything to join up so it would lay flat. If your tatting tension is very tight or very loose you may need to adjust the size of your picots, or the number of stitches (particularly in the stem) to some degree for this to turn out perfectly flat. When you have tatted one to your liking be sure to make a note of any changes to the pattern you made to the basic pattern. Beads may also have an effect on the spacing, depending upon the size of the beads you choose to use.

Two shuttles wound CTM with thread the size and color of your choice. I used white size 30 DMC Cebelia for my sample. Add beads between the rings or on the picots if you wish.

Instructions:

Begin with S1 & tat the clover in the center
Ring1 ( 6 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 6 )
Ring2 ( 6 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 6 ) join is to previous ring
Ring3 ( 6 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 6 ) join is to previous ring

tie a square knot in the two shuttle threads

Stem:
Chain ( 18) S2 is the ball thread for this
Tat a lock stitch ( 2nd half ds not flipped, 2nd half ds flipped)
Leave a picot sized space of thread for a mock picot here

Wheel row:
SplitRing ( 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 / 2 )

*
Leave a picot sized space of thread for a mock picot
Split ring ( 2 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 / 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 )
*
Repeat between ** all around, joining to the clover in the center where it shows in the diagram.

The final ring:

Ring ( 2 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 + 2 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 ) This ring joins to the previous ring and to the first ring as shown in the photo and diagram.

Tie Hide Cut ends

I think this would make a nice broach, on a contrasting fabric background, a bookmark with twisted cord, or a ribbon. A Christmas ornament, or ????? pretty much anything you want to do with it.

Enjoy!
Ruth