Victorian Trellis Doily - First Round Explained

Some people have expressed interest in this doily but are finding it difficult to decipher the pattern (written in the old-fashioned way).  As this pattern (the whole book in fact) is available on the internet, I  feel it is fine to re-write parts of it here, in modern tatting pattern terminology.

Start on a chain, leaving a small picot.  I use the method without paperclip (see in the techniques section, tab above).  Using these methods, the work is never reversed and you always tat with the front of the work facing you.

Chain with small starting picot

The Victorian sets are made as a chain and have four first halves of the double stitch followed by 4 second halves of the double stitch and are marked as vs4^4 (seems appropriate as the sets form little Vs).  I will be putting a C in front the vs4^4 as Victorian sets could also be worked in ring form so I'm trying to keep things as clear as possible.

Updated on 28.01.21 (there were some mistakes in this pattern which I have now corrected)

This is one whole repeat written out and there are plenty of photos below to illustrate each step.

Don't forget:  you never reverse work!

C: starting picot (as explained above) 4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3 (11 picots)
Join back into your starting picot.

*C:vs4^4(x2), place paperclip on the core thread, vs4^4(x2), vsp, vs4^4(x2).
SCMR2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2 (8 picots), close the SCMR.
Continue with sets:
C:vs4^4(x2), vsp, vs4^4(x2), remove paperclip and join to that space, vs4^4(x2)

Continue with the same chain:

C4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3 (11 picots)

Curl the last part of the chain onto itself with the working thread under the work and the core thread over the work, crossing between the 1st and 2nd double stitch (see photos below).
Repeat from *

When you have completed 36 large rings and are about to make the 36th small ring, then complete the round thus:

SCMR2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2 (8 picots), close the SCMR.
Continue with sets:
C:vs4^4(x2), join to vsp of first chain at the beginning of round, vs4^4(x2), remove paperclip and join to that space, vs4^4(x2), join back at base of very first large ring.

Cvsp4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3 (11picots)

Join the chain back into the starting vsp

vs4^4(x2) are made and I used a bobby pin on my thread
which works well as it has a nice width and is easy
to put on and take off the thread.  A satefy pin
or a paperclip is fine too of course.

The first long chain of victorian sets is completed and I have made the SCMR.
I just need to pass my shuttle through the loop to close it.

vs4^4(x2), vsp, vs4^4(x2) are made after the SCMR
and I have removed the bobby pin and joined in that small space.

After the join, continue with 2 more vs4^4 and then
4-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3, curl this chain back on itself,
making sure the ball thread is under and the shuttle thread (core thread) is over.

Carry on making the Victorian sets, making sure the first stitch is tight
and made so that the join is
between the 1st and 2nd ds of the chain that
makes the large ring.

After the large ring, vs4^4(x2), place paperclip (or whatever else you are using)
vs4^4(x2), join to vsp of previous chain
vs4^4(x2)
then continue with the SCMR of the small flower

And so on, and so forth...

The original pattern does the join all around the Victorian sets chains but I wasn't finding that easy to do so that's why I used the paperclip and the vsp instead.  I find it give a precise joining point whereas when trying to do the join all around the chain, it was hard to get an accurate spot every time.

I hope this is useful to those who were interested in tackling this doily.  I have just finished the tatting of mine tonight and am now on the search for some nice fabric for the middle.  Hopefully I can show you the finished doily very soon.

Best wishes,
Frivole