intermixing

As indicated in my previous post, I will be sharing ideas as patterns since there is no way I can make everything that comes to mind even as I tat. 

There is immense scope for intermixing - be it

• the way we start or finish,
• the number and placement of colour(s),
• technique,
• function,
• decorative elements &/or embellishments used, ....
• and for those who dislike too many shuttles, using SSSR &/or Dora Young rings! Yes, slash the number of shuttles to Half!!!

But first let me get one pattern out of the way with a promise of more to come (I am especially excited about the next one which uses 4-shuttles) …

My earlier dissatisfaction ended up with snipping off the side braid and finishing off in this manner –

Lock-Laced Bracelet / Choker

pattern

I’m calling it Lock-Laced because the central braid is actually interlocked and only the side braids, with a free edge, are interlaced. But this is mere semantics; the method remains same.

PATTERN – 

6 shuttles with desired colours, worked in pairs with 3 split rings in each row, worked from left to right.

Sh1: Split Ring1: 6 --- 6 / 12. Interlace Sh3 through open ring.

Sh3: Split Ring2:12 / 12. Close 1^st SR; interlace Sh5 through open ring.

Sh5: Split Ring3: 12 / 6 --- 6. Close 2^nd and 3^rd SRs.

Repeat. 

You can choose the movement and effect (back to front or front to back). For more details refer to my post here, and the pictorials listed below.

Since I wasn’t sure how it would take shape, and I wanted to try options, long tails (around 6-8") from each of the 6 shuttles were left dangling. Thus one need not start CTM; one can use leftover lengths. The tails can be braided into decorative chains such as S-chains, Josephine chains, pearl tatted chains, etc.

BEADED TRIM –

Pre-string beads on a shuttle.

With a crochet hook load 3 beads on 2 adjacent long picots.

Make a lock join through 1^st picot, pass 1 bead from shuttle, make a lock join on 2^nd picot, pass 9 beads from the shuttle. 

Continue along the length, ending with a string of 10 beads.

Tie to the bundle of tails, and snip off leaving the same length.

Repeat this on the other side.

If you want symmetry, ensure you have an even number of long picots. I like the slight off-set taper.

I inserted a spacer bead, knotted the tails together, added another spacer bead. On one of the tails extra beads were strung
I was fixed on seeing it as a bracelet, but when I showed it to my hubby he immediately thought of a necklace/choker or an ornamental armband (bajuband) traditionally worn by brides and the rich.

Worked in Anchor size 20 (≡ Lizbeth 10), with size 11/0 bicone crystals (28 maroon and 78 yellow) and 14 gold 10/0 bicones for trim. Some more beads were added to the tails on either end.

Interlaced SSSR Trial !

4 or 6 shuttles too much to handle? Try interlacing using single shuttle split rings (SSSR) – Mathew Takeda style.

This is my first attempt. Look, only 2 shuttles instead of 4!

It can be done. However, it is not necessarily easier since there are open loops; but tangling of 4 threads can definitely be avoided.

I’m not happy with the final look here – will practice make it better, or should I stick with normal SRs?

My next experiment will be with Dora Young’s Knotless Rings which are also split rings using one shuttle. In theory, they should work. Want to give it a go? Join me....

Interlaced SR pictorials -  

http://www.tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2014/11/how-to-start-interlaced-rings.html

http://www.tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2014/06/interlaced-split-rings-i.html - front to back

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2014/06/interlaced-split-rings-ii.html - back to front

Links to other tutorials - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html