Ginny Weathers, an award winning tatter (https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2003/vaw1.html), and long-time contributor (https://www.georgiaseitz.com/2006/egg/ginnyweathersegg.jpg) to the Online Tatting Class presents her second Christmas book, "12 Ornaments of Christmas Book 2". It has 37 pages, plastic comb binding, 8.5" x 11".

Ginny's second book of Christmas ornaments has both photos and diagrams done in color. Color is especially important for the diagrams as a long dash is used 6 times with the color change indicating which use it has, i.e., long beaded picot is dark red, light green is a split chain, etc. All basic tatting techniques are used including the split ring, split chain, self-closing mock ring and lock stitch chain.

The addition of beads gives the ornaments both individuality and charm. And, 'charming' is just the right word to describe one pattern, Charlotte's Web. Yes, the name does refer to Charlotte the spider and her web. Perhaps not truly a theme for Christmas but a great pattern for a lace maker anytime of the year.

Charlotte's body is the metal part of the ornament hanger which is surround by a large ring with 8 long picots for legs which are later beaded and joined to the web. A smaller ring is tatted which has two "eye" beads on it to give Charlotte a good view of her web. The first round of the web joins to Charlotte's "toes" as it goes around and later climbs into the subsequent rows using a split ring.

I think the most classic looking ornament in the book uses a tatted strip of opposing rings (like a traditional bookmark) with beaded picots and bugle beads covering the bare thread between rings. Two strips with ribbons around the ball and you are done!

Start this summer doing one a day and you will soon have a holiday tree filled with tatted ornaments.