Creating a Tiny Doily

Recently I followed the instructions for one of my grandmother's doilies so I could give a doily to one of my nephews and his new wife. Since my grandmother never named her doilies, and I needed a way to refer to each one, I had named this doily Spinning Wheel. It is approximately 10.5 inches diameter.

Shortly after finishing this doily I needed a very small doily. I was starching Spinning Wheel and I noticed that the center was slightly different from others my grandmother designed. Although I followed the directions for the first 10 rows, I changed the size of the mesh sticks: 3/8" became 1/4", #7 knitting needle became a 1/4" mesh, and the #3 knitting needle became a #1 knitting needle. I named the tiny doily Spinning.

New England Fiber Festival

Today one of my granddaughters and I spent most of the day demonstrating netting at the New England Fiber Festival. There were even some people who recognized that we were netting (not tatting). There were also many people who had no idea that netting even existed. I love demonstrating and having one of my granddaughters there helping demonstrate made today extra special.

Uneven Vandyke with the Outer Points less than the Inner Points

Most of the uneven Vandykes shown up to now have contained more loops on the outer edges and fewer loops on the inner edges. This sample has fewer loops on the outer edges and more loops on the inner edges.

Instructions

First Vandyke with straight, vertical side
Tie the thread from the netting needle onto the foundation loop, leaving a 6" tail.
Row 1: Net 2 knots in the foundation loop. (2 loops in the row)
Row 2: Net 1 knot in the first loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (3 loops in the row)
Row 3: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (4 loops in the row)
Row 4: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (5 loops in the row)
Row 5: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (6 loops in the row)
Row 6: Net 1 knot in each loop. (6 loops in the row)
Row 7: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (7 loops in the row)
Row 8: Net 1 knot in each loop. (7 loops in the row)
Row 9: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (8 loops in the row)
Row 10: Net 1 knot in each loop. (8 loops in the row)
Row 11: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (9 loops in the row)
Row 12: Net 1 knot in each loop. (9 loops in the row)
Row 13: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (10 loops in the row)
Row 14: Net 1 knot in each loop. (10 loops in the row)
Row 15: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (11 loops in the row)
Row 16: Net 1 knot in each loop. (11 loops in the row)
Row 17: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (12 loops in the row)
Row 18: Net 1 knot in each loop for 5 loops, turn the netting and prepare to start the next row, leaving the other 7 loops to form one side of the Vandyke.



Repeating Vandyke
Rows 5-18: Repeat instructions to create a new Vandyke.


Last Vandyke with a straight vertical side
Row 1: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (6 loops in the row)
Row 2: Net 1 knot in each loop. (6 loops in the row)
Row 3: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (7 loops in the row)
Row 4: Net 1 knot in each loop. (7 loops in the row)
Row 5: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (8 loops in the row)
Row 6: Net 1 knot in each loop. (8 loops in the row)
Row 7: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (9 loops in the row)
Row 8: Net 1 knot in each loop. (9 loops in the row)
Row 9: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (8 loops in the row)
Row 10: Net 1 knot in each loop. (8 loops in the row)
Row 11: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (7 loops in the row)
Row 12: Net 1 knot in each loop. (7 loops in the row)
Row 13: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (6 loops in the row)   


Forming the first square of the netting
1.       Remove the foundation loop from row 1 of the netting.
2.       Tie the tail onto a tapestry needle, which is used in place of the netting needle.
3.       Place the foundation-loop cord through another row of meshes.
4.       Tie the foundation-loop cord into a circle and attach it to a tension device.
5.       Net the first two loops together without using a mesh stick.

Life is moving faster than I am

Do you ever get the feeling that life is not only throwing you curves, but also moving faster than you ever thought it could. I don't know where October has gone. I'm sure it was just September 29th. That was the second day I spent at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E). I spent all day demonstrating netting on both September 22nd and 29th.

Three generations of women who know how to net - me, one of my daughters, and one of my granddaughters.

Demonstrating netting at the Eastern States Exposition with one of my daughters allows us to talk about netting to twice as many people.

For the second year in a row, netting has its own case. Maybe one day someone other than my family will contribute a netted item to this case.

More Smaller Circles of Netting - rows not rounds

Last week the small circle of netting looked a little rectangular. It also had 26 loops in the circumference and I wanted only 24 loops. To make that happen, I started and ended with 5 loops in the row. This circle has a total of 108 knots.

Row Instructions
1 Tie thread onto foundation loop, net 5 loops into foundation loop. (5 loops in the row)
2 Net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (6 loops in the row)
3 Net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (7 loops in the row)
4 Net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (8 loops in the row)
5-12 Net 1 knot in each loop. (8 loops in the row)
13 Net 1 knot in each loop except for last two loops, net last 2 loops together. (7 loops in the row)
14 Net 1 knot in each loop except for last two loops, net last 2 loops together. (6 loops in the row)
15 Net 1 knot in each loop except for last two loops, net last 2 loops together. (5 loops in the row)

Smaller Circles of Netting - rows not rounds

This is a smaller circle of netting. There are 123  total knots in this circle and only 26 loops around the circumference.  

Rows Instructions
1 Tie thread onto foundation loop, net 6 loops into foundation loop. (6 loops in the row)
2 Net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (7 loops in the row)
3 Net 1 knot in first loop, net 2 knots in next loop, net 1 knot in all remaining loops, net 1 more knot (total 2 knots) in last loop. (8 loops in the row)
4 Net 1 knot in first loop, net 2 knots in next loop, net 1 knot in all remaining loops, net 1 more knot (total 2 knots) in last loop. (9 loops in the row)
5-12 Net 1 knot in each loop. (9 loops in the row)
13 Net 1 knot in each loop except for last two loops, net last 2 loops together. (8 loops in the row)
14 Net 1 knot in each loop except for last two loops, net last 2 loops together. (7 loops in the row)
15 Net 1 knot in each loop except for last two loops, net last 2 loops together. (6 loops in the row)

When is a circle not a circle

In attempting to create a circle of netting using rows instead of rounds and with about 50 loops around the circumference, I made some changes to the sample from last week.

I reduced the number of loops in the first and last rows. However, I also increased the number of increase and decrease rows to the extent that this piece of netting looks more like an octagon rather than a circle.

This sample has 47 loops around the circumference and a total of 486 knots.

Instructions
Row 1: Tie thread onto foundation loop, net 6 loops into foundation loop.
Row 2: Net 2 knots in the first loop, net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots the last loop.
Row 3: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 4: Net 2 knots in the first loop, net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots the last loop.
Row 5: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 6: Net 2 knots in the first loop, net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots the last loop.
Row 7: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 8: Net 2 knots in the first loop, net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots the last loop.
Row 9: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 10: Net 2 knots in the first loop, net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots the last loop.
Row 11: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 12: Net 2 knots in the first loop, net 1 knot in each loop except the last loop, net 2 knots the last loop.
Row 13: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Rows 14-24: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 25: Net 2 loops together, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops, net those 2 loops together.
Row 26: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 27: Net 2 loops together, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops, net those 2 loops together.
Row 28: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 29: Net 2 loops together, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops, net those 2 loops together.
Row 30: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 31: Net 2 loops together, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops, net those 2 loops together.
Row 32: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 33: Net 2 loops together, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops, net those 2 loops together.
Row 34: Net 1 knot in each loop.
Row 35: Net 2 loops together, net 1 knot in each loop except the last 2 loops, net those 2 loops together.