Avoiding tatting gaposis (with left-handed pix only)

Here’s a nice little trick—snug up your rings and chains to avoid small gaps.  The picture of the doily I’m making has noticeable (though very small) spaces between the rings, but I’ve got a couple of tricks to minimize that space.

On ring #2 of your set, wrap the thread as usual but OVER ring 1 as pictured at left. Make that first stitch, and you will see that stitch overlaps ring 1 just a touch (at right).  

With 3 stitches complete, that first stitch still overlaps the prior ring just a teeny bit.

 After you've finished all your stitches for the ring, secure the ends of the ring before pulling closed, as pictured at left and right.  Pinch firmly and pull closed.

Tip: I add a second half of double stitch just before I close each ring.  It helps them to lie flat and not pull under.  Learned from Joelle Paulson.

Finish ring grouping as per your pattern.  There are three rings in my grouping.  

Now, to minimize gaposis with the chains, fold the ring grouping toward you as below:

Begin your chain, making sure your first stitch is as snug as possible.  

When you've done maybe 3 stitches, fold up your already completed chain and check the spacing/gap.

So these are my tips!  Hope you have success with them!  Happy tatting.  (Pattern by Iris Niebach)