Priscilla Cross

In my previous post, I talked about using software to help visualize pattern adaptations. I took the Priscilla bookmark and spliced it together to create a rough draft of a cross. Over the weekend, I estimated stitch counts for the inner rings and chains and began tatting. Here is the result:

As expected, the pattern adaptation was simple...though I could not have done it without the visual road map. The only stitch counts that were missing from the original bookmark were the floating rings and chains in the center of the cross. It took two tries to get it right, due to overestimating the size of the floating rings the first time. The discrepancy was apparent early on so I had only two arms of the cross completed before I started over again.

Like the bookmark, this cross is very large. I tatted it in DMC size 80, which is ever so slightly larger than Lizbeth size 80. It measures 5.75 inches long and 4.25 inches wide. It's all done in one pass, and is quite tedious, taking about 8 hours to finish.

I think the pattern would really benefit from the use of two colors. While tatting this, I realized that it would also make a nice square. The outer picots are already in perfect position to join multiple squares together. So, before making any diagrams, I will probably go off on a tangent and tat one square just to see how it looks. I say one square because I don't think I will have the stamina to make four...each square taking about 6 hours!

As I was looking through Craftree last night, I noticed that I am not the first person to adapt the Priscilla edging into a bookmark (maybe I am the first to adapt it into a cross?). I saw that Susie Arnholt had created the same bookmark in 2013, with different stitch counts and different corners (look for the off white bookmark in post #1, instructions for completion in post #5). Her rings are smaller and would work better with size 20 thread. My variations are somewhat limited to the tiny threads, unless you want a giant bookmark or cross.