The Piquant Picot

What's a piquant picot? Let's get a little help from dictionary.com on that matter:
pi·quant 
adjective

1.

agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic.

2.

agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance.

3.

of an interestingly provocative or lively character: a piquant wit.

pi-cot 

noun

one of a number of ornamental loops in embroidery, or along theedge of lace, ribbon, etc.

Now you've probably got a handle on piquant, but picot sounds a little vague, doesn't it? Let's clear matters up a little further: 

That is a hand-tatted doily (made by me, in fact!). The little loops that stick out off of the rings and chains are the picots. They're easiest to see around the outside edge of the doily.

One question leads to another! What is tatting? Tatting is a technique for making lace through a series of knot-like stitches. It can be created with a shuttle, a needle, or even with string alone, if you're desperate enough! (Ask me how I know...) 

So put it all together: The Piquant Picot is a repository for fiber fantasies, for art, for wit (I hope!), and for thread porn such as the delight pictured above. Welcome! And enjoy!