Knobby Bud Snowflake...

I have been playing a little with an existing pattern the past couple of days and I thought I would share.  The pictures were taken this evening, so are of mediocre quality...but that's as good as it gets lately.  It's been a while since my last post, again, and I wanted to post something as I just don't seem to get time during the day...so here you are!

This pattern is the Knobby Bud Medallion by Lisa Trumble.  It's to be tatted with two shuttles and I did that here in LizBeth size 20 "Snow White" (color 601) as the pattern reads.  It makes a pretty ornament by itself, small and delicate, quick to tat.

But, I got curious regarding wether it really had to be done with two shuttles.  It was obvious to me that the Josephine knots were tatted with the second shuttle, thrown off the chain, in the original pattern, but I wondered what would happen if you just tatted them with one shuttle...ball and thread style. 

This is the result.  Since you are no longer throwing the Josephine knot off the chain and then continueing on, but rather ending the chain and tatting a Josephine knot and starting another chain, the effect is a pointier bit to the curve.  Kind of nice actually, if that is what you are looking for stylistically...interesting to know.  Wasn't sure this would work out at all, so I lessened the number of picots on the chains as well...also changing the look somewhat.  I do like it, more star like I think.  I might try it again with five repeats and see if that will work.  If it does, I will tat it again in the "Americana" HDT thread I purchased from LadyShuttlemaker to go with my 4th of July star collection.

While thinking about the thrown off Josephine knots in the original pattern and some comments I have read out in tatland about some folks prefering pointier snowflakes rather than ones that looked like flowers...I thought why not try replacing the Josephine knot with a ring as those in the center and the two neighboring picots with Josephine knots.  Here is the result of that experiment...I really like it.  It makes a nice little snowflake.

This is a treasure of a little snowflake that is quick, simple, ever so pretty...will probably be tatting a number of these for little gifts to include with cards for Christmas this year.  It was very fun to play...will have to do more of that and see what else I come up with!

Here are all three versions together...

I think I will count these as motifs 13, 14 and 15 of my 25 motif challenge...and will have to try to get more of my tatting posted.  I so enjoy seeing what everyone else does out there in tatland, I need to share more of mine in return!!!