Stawasz Doily XI - Round 2

Round 2 complete - after starting over twice.  For some reason, Jan Stawasz diagrams confuse me.  What looks easy becomes sort of tricky to me, but I've found I'm once again doing it to myself.  I'm always making it harder than it really needs to be.

After thinking about it, I'm thinking it must be due to the front side/back side tatting method that Jan uses.  Even though I'm tatting fs/bs (or trying to, anyway) I found myself trying to start this round with Ring A as indicated, but  insisting that the ring is made in the usual direction.  A ring is always made in a clockwise direction, is it not?  Well, not if you are doing it from the backside, if I'm understanding myself :)  

This is where it's SO good to have a tatting friend to tat with in person.  When I asked about starting this round for the 2nd time, I pointed out that if I look at the diagram I should be making the ring in a clockwise fashion - which makes for a somewhat contorted pose.  Michelle is such a good teacher.  She asked me "why?" I needed to do it that way.  Sheesh.  I get so hung up on the "correct" procedure that I forget to look at other ways to accomplish the goal.     I think the best teachers encourage us to figure it out ourselves :) So, it worked like a charm to tat the ring backside, go the other direction and not do acrobatics to accomplish this round.  I'm not even sure that makes any sense, but it worked for me!  Now if I can just remember that when it happens again as I work on Jan's beautiful patterns.

And speaking of tatting in person, our June Twin Cities Tatters gathering last Friday entertained 6 of us.  Tatting, chatting and looking at pattern books.  Before we knew it, it was time to be done - AFTER we finished one last ring/look/conversation.  It really is great to have that in person connection with other tatters!