learning the celtic knot

I made that earrings up for the Italian Facebook group, in which we are tatting together and learning what celtic tatting is.

It's not very original, it just helped me to understand the celtic knot. 

Some links where I found instructions:

- a video by Karen Cabrera, Frivolite tatting lesson 82 Nudo celta celtic knot: https://youtu.be/FAAEnw50YbLQ 

- the pattern at the end of Karen's video is by Heather Cook, I found it here, with her instruction - even it is different, it's a knot with two chains - (I thank her also for the tips for drawing):  http://www.tattedtreasures.com/2011/11/easy-celtic-motif-pattern/

- Ruth Perry (aka Rozella Linden) wrote many books with celtic patterns (that I don't  have) and she has a blog and a site where she shares some of her patterns for free: https://rozellalinden.net/free/
http://rozellalinden.blogspot.com/

- Wally Sosa wrote one book that is still available for purchase, I bought it some years ago: https://www.etsy.com/listing/34199697/book-celtic-tatting-with-a-twist

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After the celtic knot, that I closed with a lock join to the starting picot, I didn't cut the thread. 

I tatted a ring 8-8ds, leaving a very small bare thread space, then I curled and blocked it in position (with a normal join), over the lock join, moving both threads up to continue.

To insert the earrings' post, I used the same method and stitch count that I used for the earrings in the "Parure Anne", that I explained here: https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2020/06/parure-anne-with-pattern.html#Anneorrearringspattern

Actually the celtic knot is just a knot and it needs a rope to be knotted! Then, I tatted a long chain of 120 ds.

Starting a 'dead end chain' may be done in few different ways, there's a blog post by Muskaan with links and pics: 

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2015/03/dead-end-start-to-split-chains.html

Here I choose the method suggested by Sue Hanson, making a mock picot and second half ds unflipped and using a short loop of thread in place of the paper clip, that is because I used the starting point of the chain to weave the celtic knot.

The difficult here is to keep an even tension through the chain. It needs a little exercise. I suggest to push the stitches as you go and pay attention to don't let behind unwanted small picots.

I prepared a drawing that helped me to make the knot and my first attempt was with a shoelace. Starting from the asterisk, I pinned the last ds of the chain and followed carefully my line, passing over and under. Then I joined the two ends with a lock join.

Hope to see your tatted celtic knot soon! Join us on Facebook!

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Woo-hoo! This is my 500th post!!! Thank you everyone for your kind support 🙏 ❤!

Ciao, 

Ninetta