Does anyone else out there use picot gauges? I've always wondered how important even picots are to people. Now, let me say that I think that the best way to get even picots is practice, practice, practice! I don't use picot gauges when doing regular tatting - I think they are way too time consuming and I've been tatting long enough that my picots are pretty even anyway.
But when beading, or doing a pattern where different sized, graduated, or larger picots are part of the overall design, I find picot gauges very helpful. I created this little set out of heavy card stock and since I do a lot of bead work in my tatting and often use decorative picots in my work, I use mine all the time.
They sit with my shuttles, teeny-tiny crochet hooks and collapsible eye needles as one of my "essential" tools. I have made a few of them to offer in my etsy shop, if anyone else is interested.
7 comments:
Picot gauges are great! I am the very happy owner of a "fan-style" set from Nina Libin. Use it ALL the time.
Love your set. It looks like you have most sizes. Quite a comprehensive grouping.
I use picot gauges most of the time. Even using them, my picots can vary in size! I guess I need all the help I can get!
I always tat with a picot gauge. Homemade, a plastic card with two sizes, one at each end, 0.25 and 0.5 inch. I am not concerned about the exact measurement, just that all the picots should be the same size. If I loose or forget my picot gauge, I just make another.
Very interesting post. I was actually given a set of picot gauges by none other than Rebecca Hollenbaugh, our fellow Pennslylvanian and former tatting editor of Old Time Crochet. (I'll eventually get that story into my blog.) However, I don't use them on a regular basis!
I AM concentrating now on front-side/back-side tatting, and recently was studying your suggestion about posting the shuttle and doing half stitches. These little things DO make a difference!
What a great idea! I'm going to look at your Etsy shop.
I use gauges made out of strong card, but only when necessary. They do slow me down.
i made mine out of a big ol' ice cream bucket lid...one of the plastic ones. I wanted my tatting to go to the next level...looking good. so i started using picot gauges...
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