aunt's collar - pattern for the base motif

I've prepared a series of photos that show the basic square used in the old collar. I've talked about it in another post. I don't know from where or who this pattern originated, if someone recognize it as previously published, please let me know.

I've used the silk I bought last winter, I've talked about it from this post on.

The little square is worked with a shuttle and the ball.

I've wound 3 strands of silk together and the thickness is similar to a size 20 thread.

THE PATTERN:
Start with a ring. I started from one side, where the pattern forms the little "bow" with 2 joined rings. All rings in the pattern are 3-3-3-3-3-3. You can see that the silk thread used in the collar is thin, perhaps is size 50 or 60.

1

Tat another ring: 3ds, join to the last picot of previous ring, 3ds, then repeat  1 picot, 3ds  for 4 times.

2

All chains in the pattern are 3-3-3-3-3-3, too. As you can see, the pattern is very simple, you should only remember that each ring or chain has 5 picots (considering a join as a picot too).

3

After this chain, you should start the corner. Now, trust me, I've tried first to tat the inner part and the result was different from the original, so I'm quite sure that the Old Tatter made the outer ring first.

You would not use a second shuttle, after the chain DO NOT Reverse Work and start the ring with the same shuttle. The outer ring is joined to the last chain in its last picot. So, the ring is 3ds, join to the last picot of previous chain, 3ds, then repeat  1 picot, 3ds  for 4 times.

4

5

Then, refer to photo 6, Reverse Work and start the inner ring.

6

This inner ring is joined to the second tatted ring at its second picot.

7

Then reverse again work and start the second chain of the corner. That chain is joined to the outer ring, so for the chain : 3ds, join to the last picot of outer ring, 3ds, then repeat  1 picot, 3ds  for 4 times.

8

Then tat another 2 rings "bow". (RW) Start a ring an join its 2nd picot to the 4th of previous ring, AND its 3rd picot to the central picot of the second ring. This forms the corner. I still can't understand why the Old Tatter didn't joined the picot I took with my crochet in pic 10.

9

10

The 2nd ring in the "bow" is joined to previous in its first picot. RW and start the chain, but remember to join the previous chain: make 3ds, join to last picot of last chain, continue the chain.

11

In the pic 12 you can see the pattern (after quite an hour! but I took photos ...) where I've reached the second last ring. That is the point where the pattern reaches the closure. Join the 3rd picot to the central picot of the very first ring.

12

13

Now the pattern is almost done. You should tat a chain, the outer ring, the inner ring and the last chain. The inner ring in the last corner joins both previous and the very first ring in its 2nd and 4th picots.

I've hidden one end using the method of finishing with SSSR. If you don't know about it, you'll be happy to read this great tutorial by Miranda. It could be applied also to SSSC.

Usually - for chains - I hide the other end with the needle.

14

Well, now you're supposed to measure your neck, make as many squares you need and then to tat the external finishing edging. I think that it would be ok to have a tutorial about the edging after only two squares.
So I should go to tat.

Please, let me know if I wasn't able to be clear or if I made mistakes. Thank you.

Happy tatting!
Ciao,
Ninetta

July 6th 2015:
I got to know via Pinterest the existence of a book by a Czech lady, "Frivolitky" by Milena Tomkova published in 2003, 70 pages. In one page, pinned by someone, I found the same pattern of the collar.

December 18th 2019:
Correction: in Tomkova's there is the visual pattern for the single square, not for the whole collar.
Then I found the same pattern in the star n.3 at page 43 of the book "Tatting Patterns and Designs" by Gun Blomqvist, which is a translation of a previous Swedish publication from 1967 (I have the Dover reprint edition).