What I did was follow the well-illustrated celtic knot instructions from the book "Celtic Tatting" by Rozella Linden, adding a "stem". Then I added a 2nd round of rings and chains to form the shamrock, starting at the top. I used an "alligator join" at the stem, continued around, and finished with a short Lock Stitch chain and a ring for hanging. Actually, it ends up that the celtic knot isn't exactly centered, but I think it looks pretty anyway.
Ruth Perry has graciously provided the link to shamrock patterns from the Tatting Pattern Calender. You'll see other shamrocks there that use the celtic knot center.
Here is my basic Celtic Knot Shamrock pattern:
Rnd 1: Ch (18-2-2-) 3X, 18. Weave celtic knot, LJ to start. Ch 6 or so for stem. R 10, hiding ends.
Rnd 2: R 4+4 (to center p of the top). RW, Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2. LJ to next p of center. Ch 5, LJ to next p.
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2. RW. R 4+4 (to next p of center). RW. Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2. LJ to next p of center.
Ch 6. Alligator join around stem. Ch 6.
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2. RW. R 4+4 (to next p of center). RW. Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2. LJ to next p of center.
Ch 5, LJ to next p.
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2. LJ to start of rnd 2. Lock stitch chain of 4 or so, then top R 6, j to finding, 6, hiding ends.
A variation I thought of but didn't tat would be to make it into a lucky 4 leaf clover by omitting the stem and using a 4th leaf there instead - I think the celtic knot would stay centered then, and the motif could be tilted by putting the hanging chain between leaves instead of at the top.
To be a shamrock though, I think it should have 3 leaves.
Anyway, the thread I used was size 20 for a shamrock about 1 and 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) across. The color used in the top one was "Celery", which I know I need to make more of. I also tatted one in "Forest" and one of the new "HH Lizbeth" colors from Handy Hands, varying the beads for different looks.
Very pretty!
ReplyDeleteWhat's an alligator join if you don't mind me asking?
ReplyDeleteThese are very pretty! I wonder if tightening the knot would allow for a pin back to wear as a brooch?
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it! I don't think the celtic knot has to be centered, I like it the way it is!
ReplyDeleteIt's gorgeous. I'm an avid knitter who desperately wants to learn how to tat. Any suggestions? No classes nearby.
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna!
ReplyDeleteErystle, an alligator join is when you put one thread on top of the tatted area to be joined, one behind, and then just keep tatting. It just kind of squeezes everything together. On the shamrock I squeezed the stem when I kept going with the outer chain.
Marty, I think you have a good idea there, So far I've avoided making anything into a pin because a lot of tatting designs are so open the pin part would show through, and I don't know how to deal with that.
LadyShuttleMaker, I'm so happy to have your "stamp of approval"! I like it the way it is, too.
Joansie, there are a number of tatting videos online to help you. In fact, LadyShuttleMaker has one she made herself on her blog at http://ladyshuttlemaker.blogspot.com/
scroll to the bottom to find it. There are a lot of good ones by Sharron Briggs at
http://www.gagechek.com/slb/
just click on "Tatting Demo".
Also, you can just go to YouTube and search for tatting - there are a lot of them! You'll see variations in how people hold the shuttle, etc., but the most important thing about shuttle tatting is getting the "flip". Watch the videos and notice how the little loop "flips" from one thread to the other. Once you catch on to that, everything else falls into place pretty quickly.
Miss Nancy, thanks for the compliment!
Beautiful! I love the bright green in the first picture.
ReplyDeletethe shamrock's just perfect! love the green you'd used. also had a quick look at all the other shamrock pendants on esty. they are all very pretty. good job, marilee.
ReplyDeleteLove the Celtic Shamrock!!
ReplyDeleteI use a lot of pieces I tat as pins. If I don't want to permanently make it into a pin, I just put the safety pin behind my shirt and poke through and catch a tiny bit of thread of the tatted piece and it holds the tatted piece in place and you don't see the pin because it is on the inside of your shirt.
I just did this when I tatted your other Shamrock pattern on your site. I've had so many compliments on it this week!!
Very pretty Marilee. A wonderful design.
ReplyDeletegorgeous!
ReplyDeleteKate
Thanks, everyone.
ReplyDeleteContainsCaffeine, the color of the first one is my HDT "Celery".
Valery, what a nice compliment!
Carol Lawecki, your pin idea is fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
Clyde, thanks for your approval on the design.
Kate, glad you like it!
Very pretty! I, too, like the look, knot centered or not! :) And the colors are gorgeous! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with Blogger lately??? I swear I left a comment here earlier!
ReplyDeleteI love your Shamrock! LOL! I looked through both of my Celtic Tatting books by Rozella Linden (Ruth Perry) and I could not for the life of me find this pattern, LOL! Then I re-read your post and I see you added the Shamrock part around her basic Celtic knot design! Oh, that is clever! I am looking for a good Shamrock pattern!
Tattrldy, I'm glad you like the shamrock. Thanks for the wonderful comments!
ReplyDeleteWell, TattingChic, it may not be blogger. With so much incredible tatting going on so many blogs, it just may be that it's impossible to keep up with anymore, LOL.
So sorry if my shamrock post confused you - I just wanted to make sure I gave credit where it was due for the celtic knot. I still need Rozella's book open to weave that part, LOL.
Oh, I love it. So cute and the Celtic knot fits right in with the theme! I think Ruth would be proud.
ReplyDeleteJust love your tatted shamrocks ...the colours are great......you certainly do a good job
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much for providing a pattern. I found this design on flickr and can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Metanoia, I'm glad you like it and I hope the pattern is clear enough.
ReplyDeletei can't manage well the celtic knot yet but you give the want to give it another try !!! i adore all that is celtic and this shamrock is really great !!!
ReplyDelete( sorry for my english i'm french lool)
I love love love this! I use my blog like a scrap book of things I want to attempt eventually. I've already attempted 1 prototype of a Celtic Knot motif for a crocheted granny square. I would love to experiment with a celtic shamrock (or even hearts). May I lift your photo, and link back to your blog?
ReplyDeleteitsmemaven AT aim DOT com Please let me know. This is giving me fabulous inspiration.
Just curious, but doesn't it start (18-2-2-) X3 and then 18 to finish?
ReplyDeleteNikki, you're absolutely right!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for pointing out the error. I've now made the correction in the post.
Thank you so much for the post. I made it and it actually came out right! I was so happy. I love celtic design and I just love this design. I made it the day before St. Patty's day so I had a nice piece of jewelry to wear for the occasion.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I found this as I'm off to Ireland June 4th and wanted a special shamrock for my tote bag along with a Cdn maple leaf which I found too. Thank you very much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the Celtic knot shamrock its remind me my grandma Irish Celtic jewelry.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, I almost hate to ask, how this translates to needle tatting.
ReplyDeleteI know that there are some shuttle tatters out there that think needle tatting is crude but for the shuttle challenged such as myself, the needle has become my NEW friend. Lol.
I'm just not sure if there is a key of terms, like with knitting or crochet. I think this is a beautiful pattern and would love to make my St. Patty's Day niece one for her birthday.
Candice, the shamrock would be very easy to needle tat. The tatting terms in needle tatting and shuttle tatting are all pretty much the same - double stitch, ring, chain, picot, join, lock join, etc. But, you still would need to have Rozella F. Linden's book "Celtic Tatting Knots and Patterns" for the directions on how to weave the Celtic knot, since that bit is copyrighted to her.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I'm hoping to order her book from amazon if I can't find it locally.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see a video of you making this. I am a visual learner. Video please. It's so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous!! The knot looks just great. Thank you for sharing this lovely pattern.
ReplyDeleteThanks, but in case you missed it, you need to have Rozella F. Linden's book "Celtic Tatting Knots and Patterns" for the directions on how to weave the Celtic knot (it's a great book!) All I did was expand on her Celtic knot to design this shamrock.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, I did not mean to take credit away from Rozella F. Linden's work. I do have her book and it is one of my very favorite ones. I guess what I should have said was that I really liked what you did in creating the Shamrock around the knot. It really is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea the elaborate on the knot! sorry I keep missing your blog when it first comes out!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing I am going to try this tonight I am new at tattings so I might have to read the pattern 10 times before I understand it. But I’ll have fun
ReplyDeleteLove this so far, but a link to how to weave the knot would be a great help. I have been trying for 20 minutes and get lost. Thank you.
ReplyDelete@Sewcatsew, the tutorial of weaving the Celtic knot is in the book "Celtic Tatting Knots and Patterns" by Rozella F. Linden. I don't have permission to share it, but it's available from many sources online.
ReplyDelete