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Jan asked, “I learned tatting basics years ago, but have always wondered how you know how long to make the picot if the pattern doesn’t tell you something specific. Is there a “default” length? Thanks!”
Let me preface this by saying that my response here is purely my personal opinion. There is no hard and fast rule to this in tatting. That said, from what I have seen in examples of others’ tatting and in vintage pattern pictures, most tatters tend to default to somewhere around what I do.
Here is an example of the same chain made in size 20 (top), 50 (middle) and 80 (bottom) thread. The picots are made in increasing size, with the first at the same height as the height of the double stitch, the second is the height of 1.5 ds, and the third is the height of 2 ds.
Obviously, the height of the picots will vary if made in relation to the height of the double stitches, and this seems right to me. It would look odd to have a 1/4″ picot in size 80 thread with no good design reason, just because you are used to making 1/4″ picots in size 20 thread.
To make a picot the same height as the double stitch, simply make the width of the picot—before you snug it up to the last stitch—be the width of two double stitches. If you want the height to be 1.5 ds, make the picot width 3 ds, and so on. Since double stitches are roughly square, the height easily translates to the width and this formula (1 picot height = 2 ds width) works out. It also automatically scales the picots for your size of thread. Nice.
My personal preference is to make picots about 1.5 ds. I think this gives them a nice lacy look without looking too big and unwieldy. What size picot do you default to?
What are your questions? Email them to me or leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them as well as I can.
Well – I never realized that. Gauging the picots against the width of the ds never even occurred to me!
Thanks for that useful bit if info. I always just eyeball the space, figuring that because I used to be a graphic designer, my skills would just kick in – eventually.
Unfortunately for my tatting prowess, that event has never come to pass!
The 1.5 measurement pleases me.
Fox : )
Hi Fox, it took me a long time to figure this one out. I would just eyeball it too, and honestly I still often do, but since I started measuring the picots more intentionally in this way, my eyeballing has definitely improved. Hope this helps!
on size 10 thread i usually use a 5/16 picot. BUT i totally agree with the 1.5 (which is around the same size)
Since I do needle tatting, I tend to use the width of my finger on the needle to not only do my picots but also gauge the size. The nice part is that if I am unhappy with the height of them, I just slide the whole thing off and start that ring/chain. The physical memory of what angle the needle hit my finger helps me make them all even. I will definitely try your trick, though, I had never thought to compare them to the ds’s. Thank you for the hint!
Kim, I remember the needle being easier to measure picots than shuttle, but the principle is the same.
Interesting – I must admit I tend to keep my picot’s small by default as I’m not keen on long open picots were not necessary if that makes sense; although I could perhaps to to make mine a little longer!
Ann, that completely makes sense. I’m not too keen on long picots either where there is no particular reason.
I have tweeted baout your giveaway.
Oh my gosh! I’m a beginner and maintaining consistent picot lengths has been a struggle for me. It was getting to where I didn’t want to tat anymore because my inconsistent picots were driving me crazy. Thanks for such a handy tip!!!!
(I was using a picot gauge, but wanted to get away from it.)
Yay, I am so glad this helped. Happy tatting!
I have seen some smarty pants ladies who have put two small dots with sharpie like marker on their left index finger to “measure” each picot with to assist with uniformity of sizing and it’s an “easy” tool and you will NEVER lose it down your chair… at least I hope not… How smart are they?!?!
wow, if you’re a state of the art tatter you could have the two dots tatooed on your finger!