That's a Fizzle!

I've been doing a bit of experimental tatting over the past few days looking for an edging to add interest and perhaps a bit of length to a cropped, handwoven top. I started by trying out this edging.

It's No. 17 "Shamrock Edging" from "Tatting With Anne Orr" done in 10/2 mercerized weaving cotton. I quite like the look but it was too delicate looking and shallow for the use I had in mind. No loss though as it was only a practice piece and it will be added, along with the pattern, to my collection of edging samples.

I thought maybe if I did it in a heavier thread, this time size 10 Cebelia crochet cotton, it might be large enough to use as an edging, but no, still not the effect I was after.

I was wondering at first why my sample looked so lopsided. Looking closer I finally realized that back near the top I made one "shamrock" with only one petal! D'oh. Mistakes in tatting are much, MUCH harder to remove and take considerably more time and skill to back out of than they do in knitting or crochet so this piece is being added to the scrap heap. Oh well, best I noticed at that point anyway because it was then that I discovered that it was not really working for my intended project. 

So Gene, this "squirrel" died before I ever caught it. Not sure what squirrel I'll chase next. Maybe I'll just go soak my sorrows away in the bathtub with a (moderately) good book.