Back to the Leaves

I really hope people like these leaf pendants at the sale, because I'm having a great time tatting them! Today's is Karey Solomon's oak leaf from Tatting Turns Over a New Leaf.

Unlike the pattern, I made the stem first, as this seemed like the easiest way to add the bead. I simply put the bead on the thread before winding the shuttle, and used it as an anchor point for starting with a chain. I started with a lock stitch so the chain wouldn't be tight up against the bead; it needed a little loop of thread to be able to hang freely. Then, like I did on the Tammy Rodgers maple leaf, I used a combination of balanced double stitches and regular double stitches to create a thickening of the stem near the bottom. I made a mock picot at the top of the stem before the first ring to allow room for the several other chains that would need to be joined there. This time I think I made the stem too long. One of these days I'll get it right; until then, just call me Goldilocks.

I also made a mistake; on round one, I added an extra picot to one of the chains near the top, which meant that I had to add an extra chain in round two, resulting in the leaf being asymmetrical. I think this is OK, since leaves in nature are never perfect either.

The thread is Tatskool's "Gingerbread" HDT in size 80. All the beads are my own addition. Oak leaves don't turn the vivid reds and oranges that some trees do in autumn, but I think the subtly changing browns can have a beauty all their own.