It's really simple - or really hard

The comments of newbie tatters always hit home. I learned to tat sort of by accident. I had no idea that you needed a shuttle to tat with, I'd never seen tatting and was totally clueless. Then when I'd finally managed my first ring that closed, I had no one around me that tatted and no pattern books. Which is why when I began teaching I came up with a chain only bookmark that can be done in size 10 thread. It's something that a beginner can do in a short amount of time that results in something useful. For your edification I've included it here:

Those of us who shuttle tat know that it's easier for a beginner to work with chains using 2 colours of thread. The different colours make sure that you know when your stitches have been flipped. If it's the shuttle colour, you goofed. If it's the ball colour, all's right with the world.

So, I thought wouldn't it be a great idea to design a chain only snowflake for beginners? This is where theory and reality hit head on.  If you're designing something with the idea of it being a simple beginner's pattern you don't want to muddy the waters with teaching a bunch of "exceptions to the rules".

I thought I was being clever but tatting with just chains makes for some other complications. To begin with, there's no starting ring so right away the novice tatter has to learn how to tat a mock ring. Then to keep the picots space from closing, they have to learn about a lock stitch. And then of course all of the joins are shuttle joins rather than the normal type. To top it all off, every round is cut and tie, unless the tatter knows how to tat split chains which brings everything full circle.

I though I was being clever making a chain only design- never mind. Let's just forget about it. I guess that's why I never did get this one drawn out--- until now.

I took the time to draw this one out and you can do it chain only, although this sample obviously starts with a central ring. And, of course, every round ends with a split chain climbing into the next row. I have shown one pathway through this maze of chains, but of course you can tat it any way you want. You can ever forego the split chains and cut the thread at the end of every row. Unfortunately that will mean about a bzillion ends to hide.

Anyway, here it is the really hard - simple chained snowflake.