Demonstrating Netting at the Eastern States Exposition

This week I did not find the time to make a new net edge.  The Eastern States Exposition (The Big E), a multi-state fair held in West Springfield, Massachusetts, opened September 12.  This year I've had the opportunity to demonstrate netting for parts of six days (about 35 hours).  It has been wonderful to introduce people to netting.  People kept telling me, "I never knew this existed."  That's why I was there!

Here is a look at my demonstration area.

On Wednesday, I made the two bags that are hanging in the center of the display board. The bags are very different: different bases, different mesh sticks sizes, different size bag, different number of loops in the rounds, different way to begin the handles, different thread/string used. Different is good - it helps keep me from being bored.

Netted Edging from Tatting and Netting

I love it when the patterns I'm trying to make have photographs or sketches.  The Netted Edging from page 111 and 112 of  Tatting and Netting, by Butterick Publishing Company, has a photograph. When I made it this week the instructions were fairly clear, but in one or two places it was difficult to know exactly what was meant.  The photo helped clear up those issues.  I'm not sure I did it the way the suggested, but I ended up with the look that was in the photo.

The final three rows of the instructions were very clear; however, only two of the rows were shown in the illustration.  The middle row of those instructions was not there.  Because I liked the way the photo looked, I went with it and eliminated the next to the last row of the written instructions.

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This past week, while demonstrating netting at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E), I made two more bags for my daughter.

Even though they look different they do have some common features.

1. They both have tied handles on a circular net bag. 
2. They have the same number of knots in each round. This pattern went from 12 loops in round one to 48 loops in round 6.   
3. They both have the same base.  

How are they different?

1. One is large and the other small.  
2. The body of the large bag has 4 fewer rounds than the small bag.
3. One bag has one tied handle, while the other has two.
4. The size of the mesh is different (1/4" for the small and 3/4" for the large).
5. The type and size of cord they are made of varies in size. (medium-weight string for the large one and size 5 crochet thread for the small one).
6. The location of the decreases of the handle changed.

The large bag handle (on the left) has the decreases along the edge of the handle.

The small bag handle (on the right) has the decreases in the center of the handle.

Pointed, Net Edging from Tatting and Netting

This Pointed, Net Edging is found on page 110 of Tatting and Netting, by Butterick Publishing Company (published in 1895).  The mesh sticks used are a little vague: "a rather course bone needle" (I used a 1/4" flat mesh), "a quite coarse steel needle" (I used a #3 knitting needle), and "a little finer bone needle" (I used a #6 knitting needle).  My finished sample looked very close to the illustration in the book, so I think I guessed right.  The "quite coarse steel needle" is smaller than the "little finer bone needle" which is being compared to the "rather coarse steel needle" and not the "quite coarse steel needle."

It would be interesting to see what this edge looked like with larger or smaller mesh sticks.

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This week my youngest daughter mentioned that she could use a small mesh bag.  Being a kind mother, I volunteered to make it for her. And as I was in a creative mood, I tried a new center.  

I think I'll call it the Swirl Center. 

The bag was just plain circular netting.

I decided to try a Lacy Triangle Decrease Stitch for the handle and with my daughter's approval I put netted fringe on the ends of the tied handle.

Here's another photo showing the handle's Lacy Triangle Decrease Stitch more clearly.

Now she tells me she would like a bag larger than this one, but smaller than a laundry bag.

Embroidery added to Netted Trimming from Tatting and Netting

Last week I showed what the Netted Trimming on page 109 of Tatting and Netting, looked like with just netting.  This week I've added the embroidery around the stars.

Adding the thread around the stars makes it look a bit different.

I like both and I think choosing which edge to use would depend on what I was attaching it to.