Pearl Tatting Exercise Mlle Riego Lily Morales
Pearl Tatting Exercise
Looking for a really challenging tatting pattern? Read on!
Sample tatted by Lily Morales (from the files of the Online Tatting Class.)
R = ring
SCMR = Self-closing Mock Ring
Pearl tatting aka pearl / purl Tatting = tatting with 2 “ball” threads and 1 “shuttle” thread
i.e., 3 shuttles or one needle and two ball threads, four shuttles recommended
SLJ = Shuttle-Lock Join
Crochet hook for joining picots
Picot Gauge = one gauge with size 1/8 and 1/4 "
p = picots
Notes: All rings are 7 ds + 7 ds unless otherwise noted.
All chains have 3 ds between all picots unless otherwise noted.
The very center ring of Row 2 is 7 ds + + ( join to 10th and 11th picots of S1 side of Row 3)7.
The first step is to make the two chains of pearl / purl tatting, with one ds between picots, unless otherwise indicated.
All picots are 1/4" OPEN. Make the first chain with 4 picots on each side
Now, encasing the S1 thread, make 2 picots with S2 and, not encasing S1 thread, one more picot with S2. Then make one picot with S1 and alternate one on each side until there are a total of 8 picots on the S1 side and 11 picots on the S2 side. Make temporary knots at each end to hold stitches in place until piece is completely assembled and cut threads, leaving 6” ends.
Next, make another chain of pearl / purl tatting with 20 picots on the S1 side and 21 picots on the S2 side. Make temporary knots at each end to hold stitches in place until piece is completely assembled and cut threads, leaving 6” ends. These two chains will be treated as rows 1 and 3 of the piece but both must be made before row 2, which is the row of opposing rings in between the two rows of pearl / purl tatting.
Fill shuttle and cut from ball. Leave an end of about 6” at beginning and end, then follow diagram to make row 2. The next row is tatted in only one pass, using modern techniques. It is mostly rings and chains, but requires the addition of a 3rd and 4th shuttle, wound CTM, for the Maltese Ring in the center of each scallop. FILL shuttles 1 and 2, CTM. Fill shuttle 3 and unwind about 2 feet from the ball and wind it, CTM, onto shuttle 4. Unless otherwise indicated, rings and chains are made with S1 and S2, as usual. Work first ring and chain according to diagram and then introduce S3 and S4. S3 becomes the core thread and S4 becomes the thread which makes the inside stitches of the Maltese Ring.
The Maltese Ring must be made as an SCMR, in order to make the join to Row 3 as a shuttle-lock-join, using S1, leaving a false picot. All picots and false picots on the outside of the SCMR are 1/4 inch OPEN and all picots and false picots on the inside of the SCMR are 1/8 inch OPEN.
Drop S2 for now. Leaving a false picot of 1/8 inch, begin SCMR – work one DS between each picot on inside and outside for a total of 4 picots (including false picot) on each side of the pearl / purl tatting, then, skip the next 3 picots on S2 side of Row 3 and, leaving a false picot, make an SLJ to the next picot on S2 side of Row 3, then, leaving a false picot, continue maltese ring with 1 ds between picots on each side, until there are 16 picots (including false picots) on the S1 side and 15 picots on the S4 side (including false picots). Then, using S4, RW and, leaving a false picot, work R: 8+(to 9th picot on S4 side of SCMR)8, CR, then leaving a false picot, make final stitch with S4 on inside of SCMR. Close SCMR tie S3 and S4 threads and cut, leaving 6” ends. Pick up S2 again, and leaving a false picot, continue with S1 and S2 for the remainder of this scallop, according to diagram:
At corner, work the first ring and chain according to diagram and then unwind about 2 feet of thread from of S3 and wind, CTM, onto S4, and re-introduce S3 and S4. Working as before, make one DS between each picot on inside and outside for a total of 3 picots (including false picot) on each side of the pearl / purl tatting, then skip one picot on S2 side of Row 3 and, leaving a false picot, make an SLJ to the next picot on S2 side of Row 3, then, leaving a false picot, continue maltese ring with 1 ds between picots on each side, until there are 14 picots (including false picots) on the S1 side and 13 picots on the S4 side (including false picots).
Then, using S4, RW and, leaving a false picot, work R: 8 + ( join to 7th inside picot of SCMR)8, CR, then, leaving a false picot, make final stitch with S4 on inside of SCMR. Close SCMR tie S3 and S4 threads and cut, leaving 6” ends. Pick up S2 again, and leaving a false picot, continue with S1 and S2 for the remainder of this scallop, according to diagram.
Diagram by Matthew Takeda
The original Mlle Riego illustration of pearl tatting.
Looking for a really challenging tatting pattern? Read on!
Sample tatted by Lily Morales (from the files of the Online Tatting Class.)
R = ring
SCMR = Self-closing Mock Ring
Pearl tatting aka pearl / purl Tatting = tatting with 2 “ball” threads and 1 “shuttle” thread
i.e., 3 shuttles or one needle and two ball threads, four shuttles recommended
SLJ = Shuttle-Lock Join
Crochet hook for joining picots
Picot Gauge = one gauge with size 1/8 and 1/4 "
p = picots
Notes: All rings are 7 ds + 7 ds unless otherwise noted.
All chains have 3 ds between all picots unless otherwise noted.
The very center ring of Row 2 is 7 ds + + ( join to 10th and 11th picots of S1 side of Row 3)7.
The first step is to make the two chains of pearl / purl tatting, with one ds between picots, unless otherwise indicated.
All picots are 1/4" OPEN. Make the first chain with 4 picots on each side
Now, encasing the S1 thread, make 2 picots with S2 and, not encasing S1 thread, one more picot with S2. Then make one picot with S1 and alternate one on each side until there are a total of 8 picots on the S1 side and 11 picots on the S2 side. Make temporary knots at each end to hold stitches in place until piece is completely assembled and cut threads, leaving 6” ends.
Next, make another chain of pearl / purl tatting with 20 picots on the S1 side and 21 picots on the S2 side. Make temporary knots at each end to hold stitches in place until piece is completely assembled and cut threads, leaving 6” ends. These two chains will be treated as rows 1 and 3 of the piece but both must be made before row 2, which is the row of opposing rings in between the two rows of pearl / purl tatting.
Fill shuttle and cut from ball. Leave an end of about 6” at beginning and end, then follow diagram to make row 2. The next row is tatted in only one pass, using modern techniques. It is mostly rings and chains, but requires the addition of a 3rd and 4th shuttle, wound CTM, for the Maltese Ring in the center of each scallop. FILL shuttles 1 and 2, CTM. Fill shuttle 3 and unwind about 2 feet from the ball and wind it, CTM, onto shuttle 4. Unless otherwise indicated, rings and chains are made with S1 and S2, as usual. Work first ring and chain according to diagram and then introduce S3 and S4. S3 becomes the core thread and S4 becomes the thread which makes the inside stitches of the Maltese Ring.
The Maltese Ring must be made as an SCMR, in order to make the join to Row 3 as a shuttle-lock-join, using S1, leaving a false picot. All picots and false picots on the outside of the SCMR are 1/4 inch OPEN and all picots and false picots on the inside of the SCMR are 1/8 inch OPEN.
Drop S2 for now. Leaving a false picot of 1/8 inch, begin SCMR – work one DS between each picot on inside and outside for a total of 4 picots (including false picot) on each side of the pearl / purl tatting, then, skip the next 3 picots on S2 side of Row 3 and, leaving a false picot, make an SLJ to the next picot on S2 side of Row 3, then, leaving a false picot, continue maltese ring with 1 ds between picots on each side, until there are 16 picots (including false picots) on the S1 side and 15 picots on the S4 side (including false picots). Then, using S4, RW and, leaving a false picot, work R: 8+(to 9th picot on S4 side of SCMR)8, CR, then leaving a false picot, make final stitch with S4 on inside of SCMR. Close SCMR tie S3 and S4 threads and cut, leaving 6” ends. Pick up S2 again, and leaving a false picot, continue with S1 and S2 for the remainder of this scallop, according to diagram:
At corner, work the first ring and chain according to diagram and then unwind about 2 feet of thread from of S3 and wind, CTM, onto S4, and re-introduce S3 and S4. Working as before, make one DS between each picot on inside and outside for a total of 3 picots (including false picot) on each side of the pearl / purl tatting, then skip one picot on S2 side of Row 3 and, leaving a false picot, make an SLJ to the next picot on S2 side of Row 3, then, leaving a false picot, continue maltese ring with 1 ds between picots on each side, until there are 14 picots (including false picots) on the S1 side and 13 picots on the S4 side (including false picots).
Then, using S4, RW and, leaving a false picot, work R: 8 + ( join to 7th inside picot of SCMR)8, CR, then, leaving a false picot, make final stitch with S4 on inside of SCMR. Close SCMR tie S3 and S4 threads and cut, leaving 6” ends. Pick up S2 again, and leaving a false picot, continue with S1 and S2 for the remainder of this scallop, according to diagram.
Diagram by Matthew Takeda
The original Mlle Riego illustration of pearl tatting.
You Should Also Read:
Mlle Riego Pearl Tatting Book #10
Pearl Tatting Video
Related Articles
Editor's Picks Articles
Top Ten Articles
Previous Features
Site Map
Content copyright © 2023 by Georgia Seitz. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Georgia Seitz. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Georgia Seitz for details.
