Wednesday, May 7, 2008

25 Motif Challenge #17 - Elizabeth's Basket




I've said recently that I am not a designer, and I certainly stand by that comment. However, this little basket just seemed to emerge from my shuttle this weekend. I came home from visiting my very sick niece, Elizabeth, in the hospital and really needed to sit in my chair and tat, but I couldn't seem to focus on any pattern or plan. I loaded the shuttle with some size 30 thread and started what I thought would be a little motif, but it curled up. I was going to throw it away when my daughter said, "Don't throw it away - it's a basket. Put a handle on it!"




Here is the pattern:




Center: R 4 ds, sp, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, sp, cl


Repeat for 6 rings total, joining into a little flower


Tie & cut




Round 1: join to a picot


ch 4-4 , shuttle join to a picot from center


Repeat all the way around


Tie & cut




Round 2: R 4-4-4+4-4-4 cl


Ch 4-4-4


R 4+8-4


Ch 4-4-4


Repeat around, joining final ch to base of first R


Do not cut




Handle: Ch 4-4- until there are 17 picots


End with 4 ds, shuttle join to base of opposite R


Tie & cut




Block & Starch


5 comments:

Tattycat said...

This is how it starts. You think you are only doing mindless tatting and the next thing you know the "design bug" has bitten you! I must warn you, there is no cure. You just have to keep desigining!

Unknown said...

That is so adorable. Tattycat is right, there is no cure. And you find it really is kinda easy to design sometimes...it just comes out of you. Thank you for sharing the pattern. For me the hardest part of designing is writing down the pattern. Good job!

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

What a lovely little basket! I'm not at the designing stage yet, and if I never get there, that's fine with me... luckily there are tons of talented tatters willing to share their patterns!

Singtatter said...

Before you know it, you may be on your way to more designs. I agree with Tattingchic, it is hard to write down the pattern. Well done!

Sewicked said...

Cute little basket. And you can vary it by doing a rick-rack or Josephine chain for the handle.