peeling the onion without crying

This post is part of a series.

• the onion dilemma – Part I
• variations on the onion recipe – Part II
• peeling the onion without crying – Part III   (this post)
• onion rings - not fried yet  - Part IV 
• mock and split but still genuine – Part V
• the onion takes dimension - Part VI
• whichever way you choose - Part VII

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My feeling is that the “all true rings” method is tricky for beginners, especially for finding the right tension in the two rings. My tatting is always very tight, and the outermost rings seems always stuck to the previous. But, I think, even expert tatters tend to tension more rings than chains, so, if you’re looking for a denser effect, then the true rings is just the method you need.

There's no need to struggle with a method,  when we have many ways to tat the same pattern. (Remember the "square medallion" design by Anne Orr? Aurora Lozada found  another way to tat the centre: https://tathelper.blogspot.com/2020/04/an-onion-ring-challenge-i-havent-tatted.html)

There are always many ways to peel the onions, without crying.

I think that the simplest method is tatting the inner ring with a true ring and all subsequent rings like mock rings, that is chains. But the final effect is a little different.

2. Tatting onion rings with inner true ring and outermost mock ring(s)

Mainly we have 3 choices:

1. Inner true ring with first shuttle (core thread), mock ring with second shuttle (or ball thread)
2. Inner true ring with second shuttle, mock ring with first shuttle
3. Both Inner true ring and mock ring with second shuttle, that is both with the same thread (colour).

I usually tat the inner ring from the backside, and the chain (the mock ring) from the front side.

2.1 Inner true ring with core thread (first shuttle), mock ring with ball thread (or second shuttle)

Reference: 

• This method is showed in the book by Tina Frauberger “Schiffchenspitze” (1919). Here is the link, thanks to Georgia Seitz: https://www.georgiaseitz.com/public/tinafrauberger/fraubergerschiffchenspitze1919final.pdf . In that book you can find pictures for tatting a true ring surrounded by one or more mock rings, tatted alternatively with the two threads (colours).

I tatted the inner ring (pic 16) with my first shuttle (currently the red - core thread’s shuttle). I tatted reversed stitches because that is the backside for me (but this is optional).

In pic 17, I reversed work to tat the outer chain. The ball (yellow) thread has been moved on the back, that is to comply with the direction of the thread that is coming from last second half stitch (but, if my last chain had the first half stitch visible on the front side, then I would had moved the thread on the front)

Notice that when I'm going to start the mock ring, I pull the first shuttle thread, and the inner ring tips over.

In pic 18 I’m joining rings. Of course, the “onion ring join” and the JSS (“Join to smooth side”) can be used, but here I chose to use a lock join, because actually the "mock ring" is a chain and it is not mandatory that the core thread has to slide, unlike in a true ring. Remember to snug well the chain before the lock join, otherwise the two sides will look different. The lock join is very useful when the pattern doesn’t require a regular picot in that point, in fact there will be always a “structural” very tiny picot that can be used afterward as a close joint.

There are many possible alternatives for the join, for example the “Catherine Wheel join - CWJ”, that it is done with the second shuttle thread (it’s a variation of the “Dora Young knot” used to join a chain to a picot below with the first shuttle thread).

The CWJ join makes a smoother chain than the lock join (similar to what you get with the onion ring join or with the JSS). You can also follow a tip by Robin Perfetti, she uses two CWJ to obtain a balanced outer ring, in this post: “Using CWJ for outer chain of Onion Ring” http://tattingbythebay.blogspot.in/2015/06/frauberger-edging-pattern-notes.html

As you can see in my picture, I counted the CWJ as one ds, then I tatted 5ds, joined to previous element, 4ds, then the CWJ, picot, another CWJ, then 4 ds. picot, 5ds.

You can find a video with three possible alternatives for the join (“lock join”, “S&R join” e “CWJ”) by Karen Cabrera:

• “Frivolite-Tatting Lesson 25 - Anillos concentricos- concentric rings” https://youtu.be/x6o3RT4bb9Q

Any type of join you choose, I fully agree with Muskaan (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2016/03/demystifying-joins.html):

“Principle : Any, & I stress, entire project can be completed with just TWO joins – the picot join & the lock join, preferably working with two shuttles for a free-sliding core thread throughout. All other joins are a modification of these basic joins for the purpose of beauty and perfection; smoothly curved chains; even-looking and complete stitches; avoiding colour blips in 2-coloured tatting; ease of switching colours; etc."

⇒⇒⇒ Closing the mock ring (and colours choices):⇐⇐⇐
 
If I don’t want to switch shuttles (colours) (that is: mock ring and next chain  the same colour), like in pic 20 & 21, I make the “onion ring join” (that is like the “S&RJ – slope & roll join”), a normal join taking a loop from the ball thread and passing the core shuttle into it, without tensioning the ball thread: in this way the core thread still slides and both thread are already in the right position to start the next chain (in yellow in pic 21).

If I want to switch shuttles (colours) (that is: mock ring and next chain will be different colour), I have many options:

• (like in pic 22 & 23) a “lock join” with first shuttle (core shuttle).

• Pull a loop of ball thread as if making a normal join, and passing the core shuttle into it, but tensioning the ball thread, to let the loop of core thread to pop back, this tends to switch shuttles (colours) automatically. That isn’t a new type of lock join, I’ve used it many times and I think it is some sort of vintage lock join, but I don’t have a “name” for it, I've had a suggestion to call it "block join". You can see it in the lower part of my drawing in Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/bvs5GV

• a “reverse join”, as it is showed by Muskaan here: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/03/revisiting-options.html ( Elaine P. Gan “reverse join” is described here:  https://www.craftree.com/forum/threadfs/35396 )

With these types of lock joins, both thread are already in the right position to start the next chain with switched shuttles (chain in red in pic 24).

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The technique with one inner true ring and outer chains (mock rings) also permits to tat different patterns, not only onion rings, for example some vintage patterns like this one that I glued on a bookmark:

I tatted that short sample some time ago, pattern is called “tulipani” (tulips) and I found it in an Italian booklet, "Selezione Tricot - Il Chiacchierino", 1990.

The "outermost mock rings" method described here, has two more variants, that one with shuttles (colours) switched and another with ring and mock ring the same colour.

If you liked my posts till now, I'd like having your opinion and if you are aware of more methods, please tell me.

... To be continued!

Ciao,
Ninetta