Sequencing

I envision needle lace as a slow moving video game...

Okay, very slow...

Okay, GLACIALLY slow.

You still need a strategy or you will corner yourself. You have to plan your way in, make sure all your objectives get covered, and leave yourself a back door to GTFO when you are done. But you cant do some of the side objectives until the main ones are done because you wont have anywhere to anchor them. You don't want to go over the same path twice or it will look different than the others. And the slow moving pace can be tricky because your mind wanders and next thing you know, you've gone WAY past where you needed to detour for an objective that is now really hard to get back to. Or you've gone blundering into a blind alley like a bull after a red flag. The snail-like speed lulls you into false complacency.

There's more than just one way to do just about anything. but I am going to show you a simple game plan for a reticella cutwork (radially-dominated) motif that should work for most reticella patterns. I won't get into how to do the actual stitches...you can find those on my instruction tab. This is just a plan to get in and out without getting too lost.

(This tutorial presumes you have left the central warp/weft threads when cutting out your window as per our previous tutorial. If you haven't you will need to lay down more threads to create your central foundation lines. Not a big deal: just make sure you are doing your work over 3-4 threads.)

General strategy BLUF:

Lay down a thread (your tail) to get to the center. The spoke that you laid that first thread down on is now your way out. Save working it for last. You work all your spokes first, including any elements that are isolated by those spokes, by sending out your thread to the outside and working over it to get back to the center (therefore covering it.) Each element is created by throwing down 3 lines, (which leaves your thread away from where you started,) then working over them to get back. If you have a line that crosses your spoke, you can lay down the lines for both sides but then work one side first, (out to in) then the other (out to in.) Any element that crosses all the spokes is done on your way out as it needs all the spokes to be there in order to have something to attach to.

First, lay down your tail from the outside to the center so you can bury it. The center of your motif is your new home base.

Then you lay down the thread (from the center out) on the other side and proceed with your bar's covering stitches back into the center of your motif. I would use a simple wrap or figure-8 on the spokes. (see stitch instructions) as they both produce a nice straight bar.

Cast your thread to the outside of the next spoke and then work your covering stitches over it (and the other existing ones) back into the center.

Cast your thread to the outside again for the third spoke and work again to the center.

But save your last spoke for your way out.

Now for your diagonal spokes. These don't have any foundation lines yet so you have to create them. For any foundation line you want 3-4 threads.

Run your thread up to one corner, then back through the center, then down to the opposite corner, then back through the center. and up to your original corner. That should give you 3 threads on your current spoke.

Start toward the center covering your lines, but stop when you get to your first intersection. At every intersection, you need to take a good look and evaluate if you will be able to get back in order to work the element crossing your current spoke. If not, you need to stop and take care of it before you move on.

Cast threads back and forth until you get to 3.

Work over your foundation threads in buttonhole stitch with the fin to the outside of the curve.

Work from the outside back towards the spoke first on the one side and then the other side.

Work the diagonal a couple more stitches to get to the second intersection.

Take a couple of very loose buttonhole stitches through the fin of the previous section you worked to get to the edge. Then run your line back to the center and take a couple more loose buttonhole stitches to get to the other edge. Go back through the diagonal to the first side.

Work your buttonhole stitches back to the diagonal then run another foundation line out to the other side.

Work your buttonhole stitches on that side back to the diagonal and then work your diagonal in to the center.

Do the same thing for the other 3 diagonals.

Work your final spoke out from the center to the first ring and lay down 3 foundation lines, making sure to pierce each spoke for secure attachment.

Work buttonhole stitch over your ring, working your picots as you go.

Work your way up your spoke to your next ring and lay down its foundation lines.

Work buttonhole stitch over your foundation stitches then cast the reinforcing lines for your detached buttonhole triangle. Work the triangle, making sure to capture the reinforcing lines on your outside stitches.

Run your thread down the side of your detached buttonhole triangle in small stitches to get back down to the base.