Eliz Davis' Adaptation of an Anna Valeire Pattern It offers the opportunity to practice a number of tatting techniques among them those listed below. Shuttle Lock join http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2001/shtljoin.html Alligator or capture join http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2004/burdacapturedring.jpg Turning the work http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes/turningwork.html Picot Gauge Exercise http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes/shamrock.html

I occasionally find a small element in someone's design that really inspires me. Such is the case with this square motif from Tatted Yoke No. 4 in Fifteen Tatted Yokes and Camisoles Finished on Satin, Book 9, by Anna Valeire, published by E. C. Spuehler in the early 1900s. I have used it in several bookmark patterns over the years and I never get tired of it.

My challenge to you is to use this square motif as a design element in a new project of your own. Then submit a picture of your finished piece and the instructions to Georgia (AKTATTER@aol.com) to be shared with the rest of us in a future Online Tatting Class session (www.georgiaseitz.com). Use it in a coaster, a snowflake, a piece of jewelry, a bookmark, a cross, an edging, etc. The possibilities are limited only by our imaginations. So have fun!

My instructions and diagram are found below. Please note that the rings produced in round one do not join to each other. An alligator join is used to climb from round 1 to round 2. In round 2, I used the lock join to join adjacent rings together, joining into the picot of both rings at the same time. The lock join is also used to join into the space at the base of the ring pairs of round 1.

Valeire Square Instructions using Shuttle(or Needle) and Ball Thread Round 1: (Note that there are NO joins in this round.) *R 8-8, cl. R 8-8, cl, rw. Ch 5-5, cl, rw.* Repeat from * to * until you have 4 pairs of rings and four chains. Use the alligator join to climb out of round 1 and into round 2. Round 2: (Note that you are joining adjacent rings together by joining into the picot of two rings at the same time.) **Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join two adjacent rings together) Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join into the space at the base of the next pair of rings)** Repeat from ** to ** until you have joined back where you started this round. Finish as desired.