MaryM's Original cro-tat heart Valentine,tatting with crochet hook, crochet tatting

MaryM's Easy Cro-Tat Valentine! ^{Š2001 MaryM}
Another simple, quick crochet tatting pattern. Pictures and diagrams.
Copyrighted. Please copy, reproduce, collect or redistribute with permission only.

^{Those who needle
tat will already know how to make the Rings. For those needing a
bit more instruction, please see my}^{Daisy Bullion Cro-Tat Edging}^{for more detailed description of the
stitches with lots of how-to pictures.}

^{Materials:
Cro-Tat or other long straight crochet hook, size 10
thread.}

^{Elements
used in the Heart motif:

Center Ring: ds, p, 3ds, 3(p, 2ds), ds, p, 2ds, Close
Ring.

Side Rings: 2ds, 3(p, 2ds), Close Ring.

Point Ring: 2ds, (join), 2ds, Close Ring.}

^{-For
all rings, the beginning single loop on the hook serves
as the 1st half of the first double hitch stitch (ds) of that
ring.

-When making a joining to a picot, the picot
loop serves as the 1st half of the next double hitch stitch (ds).}

^{Directions:

This Heart is 16 rings bridged with chains and joined with
picots.}

^{Starting at the
Center Ring.

Begin with a normal crochet loop.}

^{Make the second
half of the ds, snug down to first loop. 1 ds on hook.}

^{Make ds on hook
leaving about 1/2" space (picot), then snug up to first ds
on hook.}

^{Make all the ds
and p stitches needed for the Center Ring,}

^{then Close Ring:

Pull down loop of thread with the 3rd finger to stabilize the
thread for the hook,}

^{Yarn Over (yo),
gently pull through all loops on the hook,}

^{snug the loops
together, YO again and pull through to Close Ring.

1st ring made. Center of Heart made.}

^{Chain 3.}

^{Make a Side
Ring, but in place of the first "picot," insert hook
from back to front (to prevent twisting of the work) into the
last picot loop of the Center Ring, then make 2nd half of ds.
Finish making the Side Ring. Close ring. Chain 6.

2nd ring made.}

^{Repeat twice:
(Make a Side Ring, but in place of the first "picot,"
insert hook from back to front into the last picot loop of the
previous Side Ring made, then make 2nd half of ds. Finish making
the Side Ring. Close ring. Chain 6.)

4th ring made. Shoulder of Heart made.}

^{Repeat 3 times:
(Make a Side Ring, but in place of the first "picot,"
insert hook from back to front into the last picot loop of the
previous Side Ring made, then make 2nd half of ds. Finish making
the Side Ring. Close ring. Chain 5.)

7th ring made.}

^{Make a Side
Ring, but in place of the first "picot," insert hook
from back to front into the last picot loop of the previous Side
Ring made, then make 2nd half of ds. Finish making the Side Ring.
Close ring.

8th ring made. Shank of Heart made.}

^{Chain 4. Make a
Point Ring, but in place of the "picot," insert hook
from back to front into the last picot loop of the previous Side
Ring made, then make 2nd half of ds. Finish making the Point
Ring. Close ring.

9th ring made.}

^{Chain 3, sl st
into the Point Ring. First side and point of Heart made. Now you
will make the other side of the Heart.

Note: Both the Point (9th) Ring and the next (10th) Ring are
to be joined to the last picot of the 9th Ring. This creates the
sharp point.)}

^{Continuing in
similar manner up the other side and back to the center,
essentially mirroring the pattern:}

^{Chain 4.}

^{Final Ring:
Make a Side Ring, joining the first "picot" to the
previous ring as described, make the ds and center picot as
usual, but for the 3rd "picot," join front to back into
the very first picot of the Center Ring, being careful not to
twist the work.}^{16th ring
made.}

^{^{Chain 3,
slip stitch into the top of the Center Ring, fasten off and weave
ends into the back of the work. Block. Stiffen if desired.}}

^{Back to MaryM's Cro-Tat Designs}