Thursday, January 3, 2013

Pressing Problems of Picots

Jess’s HDT, #40           #24/100 MC       Design by Jennifer Williams

It is apparent to me that I have not quite yet resolved the matter of whether to block with the dreaded (and painfully sharp) pins on a board or to dampen and restrain beneath The Criminal Code of Canada till shaped. What follows is what I have determined.

Usually I do not make New Year’s resolutions, because I am already results oriented enough and obsessive beyond imagining, so I know if I promise to do something it will happen - and then some. 

So, I am usually gentle with myself at the year’s beginning, and only when it seems a calming idea and not too big a deal will I promise... This year I made a promise. Tis year, I am going to pay closer attention to picots and shrink them to half of their size.

This does not seem as grand an idea as taking up jogging again, (not my most gentle resolution) instead of walking, and then running three times a week NO MATTER WHAT... I am into the third year of that particular promise. You can see what I mean about obsession. 

This picots pledge seem a rather picayune promise. Paltry in fact - unless you happen to tat large and rather uneven picots, as I do. I have come to the conclusion that my tatting will be much improved and tighter tension will be the offshoot of tatting tiny picots. 

This takes some concentration and I do believe it is effective, as I can see when I look at this motif, the tension seems much tighter than usual, and I do like the more controlled aspect that the small picots add to my work.

Not much I can do this new thing with the monster picots of the Honey Napkin. Too late for that. With only four more rows and a gazillion picots left to tat, I shall retain my old ways in that arena. Amen.

18 comments:

  1. Do you mean joining picots or other picots or both? I think your decorative ones look just right.

    Can't wait to see the honey napkin.

    Did some laundry today- safely.

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    1. Both.

      And, sadly, my new leggings - lovely, expensive, warm black ones - are residing in the laundry room garbage can, ruined beyond all salvation. I am so glad I am moving. Grrrrrrrr.
      Fox : ))

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  2. The laundry ate your leggings? I handwash everything except sheets and towels - but my new DIL has a most magnificent machine that even does her drycleaning and makes her a cup of coffee.
    I always dampen and block - I don't pin out picots, but stick my tiny crochet hook through every single decorative one while they are damp - so they dry more or less the same size, and straight.
    More or Less.

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    1. Hi, Maureen,
      Yes, it’s true. The laundry machines are from the 1970’s, I swear! They do NOT make coffee - unless that is what is all over my light clothing!

      I use the hook stem to open the picots as well - works pretty well. Great minds ... : ))
      Fox

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  3. I've been known to use a crochet hook to shape picots, too. It's a great technique.

    I think it's best to be versatile in your picot lengths. I have to say that I have never once looked at your work and thought, "Her picots are too long". A small ring with long picots can look very nice; there are examples of this in the Honey Napkin. Of course there are also times for smaller picots, and times for graduated picots. It all depends on the piece, and your individual style. Since long picots seem to be part of your style, why not just work on making them more even, if you think that's a problem? Sure, you should also practice making shorter ones for when they're appropriate, but don't eliminate the long ones.

    As for blocking, I take it on a case-by-case basis.

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    1. I will probably agree with you in the morning - tonight I felt like a bit of a rant... : ))
      Fox

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    2. It is now morning...okay... I agree! Jane is right; good aim!
      Fox : ))

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  4. Reading Miranda's reply makes me think that what you're aiming at is paying more attention to picots. Good aim!

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  5. Hmm ... am I the only one who doesn't know about using the crochet hook to shape out the picots while blocking? I don't normally pace any pins in the picots themselves, so this is a great tip. Thank you Maureen for bringing this out.

    On the matter of picots, I don't prefer large picots much except when it is a design requirement, for that I use disposable picot gauges. I try to make them equal size as much as I can by just eye-balling it. I think small picots make this easier to do.

    I love the blue shades in Jess' thread, BTW.

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  6. Hi Fox

    I think your washing machine have a mind of their own, sorry to hear about your joggers,
    Your picots in this motif look lovely and even, I am sure you will master the longer picots it takes a lot of practice but I know you will do it and the honey mat will look totally wonderful when you have finished it.
    I agree with Mitchell when damp use a hook to make the picots stretch out.
    Love to Gian
    Margaret

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  7. Ah, picots! I have scrapped many a piece because the picots were either too small or too large. I try not to dwell on them too much, but I do get frustrated when I manage to set one the wrong way with the steam iron. The steam can be very hard on my fingers, too! ;-)

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  8. Hhhmmmm. I always think my picots are too small - I guess I make them small because I think they are easier to keep uniform in size. However - I've also found that sometimes my small picots completely change the look of a pattern I'm working on (and not always for the better!)

    I really love this motif - and the beautiful color :)

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  9. Thanks, Tatters.

    Jane,
    After reading YOUR comment, I realized that is exactly what this is all about, only I have promised myself in the past year to pay more heed to the picots, and the results have been less than pleasing!

    It might just take an actual resolution, timed appropriately to be successful!
    Fox : )

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  10. I've always thought your picots were perfectly fine!
    I seldom block, but I do tat quite tightly, and, I must admit, I usually eyeball my picots. or rather, finger gauge my picots.
    Love this motif!

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  11. Thank you for all the great comments. I love this motif!
    Fox : )

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  12. I like long picots:) I always seem to make huge ones so I decided to embrace them. It does occasionally lead to bowling, but unless i am making something as a gift, I don't let it bother me. With time I have found that my picots are fairly even. However whenever I consciously try to change the size of picots (usually smaller), they end up all over the place. My picots are also most even when working with size 80. All bets are off if I move to different size thread. I guess there is something to be said for using pretty much the same size thread for all projects!

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    1. Hi, Mica,
      i notice that too; when the thread is thinner , the picots are more consistently the same size. Lucky I hardly ever work in #20 or larger!
      Fox : )

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