Monday, March 30, 2020

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Little Tatted Basket

Day 169: A tisket, a tasket!
A little tatted basket!

These Easter/May baskets have been in the developmental stage for the last two weeks and finally, I'm satisfied with the pattern. I've used Lizbeth #20 thread to construct these two, a little finer than the cheaper crochet cotton I used while experimenting to get the flare of the bowl and handle attachment just right. In one earlier version, I'd tried a Fenton-style ruffle around the top edge, but in the softer Lizbeth thread, it tended to collapse even when heavily starched. There are a lot of things to consider when creating any type of needlework pattern, of which practicality (the intended function of the finished piece), style, fiber and ease of construction are only a few elements. I haven't entirely dismissed the Fenton-inspired design idea, but I believe it would be better made with a heavier thread. That said, I prefer not to use #10, putting it in the category of "ship's hawser," and don't keep it on hand. However, in the back of my mind is a stray thought about tatting a bath mat from strips of t-shirt jersey. Now that would be different, and it would get me up and walking as I pretended to be a needle passing back and forth over a cord strung from one side of my living room to the other.

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