Dead end start to Split Chains

All Coiled Up, Curled & Cozy !

No intention of boring my dear dear readers by revisiting same stuff …. 

Just thought it might still be helpful to anybody who is interested & wants to apply them to their tatting . 

And I Love curls, coils, curlicues – the shape is just so elegant and free flowing !

A brief background

It all started with this thread in Craftree and Lynn directing us to this video tutorial by Karen Cabrera, as a possible technique to apply. Well, it Was !!! And hugs & thanks to Lynn for opening up a wonderful world of Karen’s videos as well as the possibilities these curlicues have for free form/free style tatting.  

Dead end start to normal Chains

One can start a dead end chain by inserting a paper clip (Frivole) , a very small picot (Martha Ess), a lock stitch (Sue Hanson), or nothing at all (Frivole) like I did with this I Love Tatting Doodle (where no picot space was required). It is fairly easy to do it when working normal chains, where stitches are flipped, because one has the chain thread to grip, hold, & anchor. {Click on each of these for direct link to tutorials/tips. Also listed in the Resources Page.}

Neither of these techniques is, however, possible in case of a dead end start to Single Shuttle Split or Floating Chains

While browsing for more tutorials to add to the Resources page, 
here's a Gem I found ! 
Superb description & explanation by Elgiva Nicholls . 

WHY ? .... Because ....

1. the stitches are not flipped. When all stitches are Unflipped, how does one make a Lock Stitch ?!
2. there is no chain thread to grip & wrap around the fingers while tatting, to hold taut.
3. there is no place (thread or element) to hold in a pinch while beginning the SSSCh. Nothing to anchor one’s tatting.

It Can be done by starting with a ring (Karen Cabrera) or with a bead (Jane Eborall). 

But what if one wants a “pure coil”; a simple curvilinear chain ?!

To overcome these problems, one needs , first, an anchor & grip of some sort.  Following are my solutions mainly in notated picture form with some general/overall tips summarized at the end of the post. 

Possible Dead End Starts to 

Single Shuttle Split Chains / Floating Chains

Please Note : For the main movements on how to work the chain, please refer to Karen’s video tutorial. 
I am only illustrating a few options to begin a dead end split chain , which have worked for me. 

Size 20 , 10 or thick threads ….

Clockwise Curlicue

For Size 20 or thicker thread , use a pin , a safety pin, paper clip, needle…..   

Measure the length of chain (curlicue) you desire, & make a very simple SLT-type Single knot on the pin at that point. (This kind of acts as a Lock Stitch later)
Note that since it is a SSSCh, we are working with a pulled-out length of Shuttle thread only !  

Counter-Clockwise Curlicue

These curlicues can be made in either direction ; clockwise as well as counterclockwise.

The above 2 chains were made starting from left to right, resulting in a clockwise coil.

The following chain will be made starting from right to left, resulting in a counterclockwise coil.

In both cases, Reverse Stitch is being used (also called 2^nd half of Split ring method, lark’s head knot,  unflipped stitches/hitches, encapsulation, etc. )

For anticlockwise, refer to Jane Eborall’s Pearl Tatting tut. Or my photo-tut on Reverse Stitch here 

In Jane’s pearl tatting, if one uses Sh2 movement in SSSCH, then one gets a clockwise curlicue ; if one adopts Sh1 movement, one gets an anticlockwise curlicue.

In my photo-tut, pics 3B to 3H illustrate the loop & shuttle movements in order to work the RS with caps facing on top of core thread.

One must remember, though, that in case of these counterclockwise floating curlicues, one is working from right to left. Order of hitches/unflipped stitches remains the same – 2^nd half then 1^st half, & repeat…

Theoretically, one could RW & tat the counterclockwise curlicue as the clockwise one. 

But I could not handle it - there are too many things going on : no place for a proper pinch ; 

short length of core thread ; And the tatted part comes in the way of shuttle movement, if Reversed ! 

For Finer threads : Size 40, 80, etc. or rayon, silk, …

A pin worked fine when working with size 20 thread. There is no space/gap at the beginning of the chain. However, this same pin proved too big when working with fine threads such as rayon & silk as I did in this Tatting for Holi composition.

My solution for fine threads – use a length of sewing thread in place of a pin ! For medium-sized threads, dental floss, fishing thread, etc. can be used. Rummage through your sewing kits for the right size of thread to start the curlicue !

Following images demonstrate some key steps in starting a dead-end Curlicue

Some Useful Tips :

·       When you pull tight, after removing the pin / auxiliary thread, a Lock Stitch effect takes place & the end ‘hitch’ gets locked in. You can push the hitches all you want, but they will stay as a curve ! No gap / space is seen at the start, once the pin/thread is pulled out & hitches snugged against the starting point.
·       For greater coiling effect, pull the hitches snug ; the tighter or closer they are, the greater the curve.

·        However, the hitches themselves should not be made too tight. Otherwise they will not move neatly, smoothly, easily over the core thread to form a coil.
·        I prefer using a pin/needle for counterclockwise SSSCh, because it can be pierced through fabric/mattress, thus keeping the work steady & anchored, & also keeps the core thread taut to make hitches.

·        Choice of pin, thread, yarn, wool, or floss would depend on the size of tatting thread one is working with. For 20 & above, pin is fine. For 30 & 40, floss would work. For 80 & less, any appropriate sewing thread can be used.

I  concede that reading or simply viewing the pics might be a bit confusing. 

But once the shuttles are picked up, it all "clicks" together.

happy tatting :-)

Related posts
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/05/i-love-butterflies.html 
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/05/i-love-floating.html