fumble fingers

 I swear if you watch me do beaded tatting you will forget how to tat with beads! My fervent wish is that a beading friend sit beside me and help me use the tools and materials I have effectively and efficiently. I simply fumble my way through, taking a ginormous amount of time even for simple patterns. And nothing comes simpler than this earring pattern!

Remember I told you about receiving many gift patterns around ITD this year? This simple one-shuttle earring pattern is a special gift from Jill McLean! Here is my journey ....

1. My first trials with new metallic thread (Natvarlal brand) failed. The single thread broke soon after starting my 1st attempt. 

So I used 2 threads above, but while closing the ring, one thread broke. Had to be abandoned.

2. Played safe on my next trial, using size 20 metallic thread.  

My only variation was using 2 different coloured beads. The yellow ones (up beads) went around the hand on the ring loop, while the blue ones (down beads) were pulled from the shuttle. 

Stringing beads didn't require too many brain cells - load all of one colour, then all of the other!

TIP : One can work the small ring as a SSSR hiding the tail without any sewing! (Miranda pictorial ; Marilee video)

3. Friends urged me to use my silk threads. So here's one Opella silk skein (all 6 strands) along with faceted bicone crystals in 2 colours - the inner green are a tad smaller than the outer silver crystals. 

I used metallic silver thread to make jump rings for the 2 teardrops. Huh, they don't look too bad in the pic, but I had a tough time getting them into shape, especially doubled up. 

Here the large ring took patience while closing - had to slide the stitches to the left in batches till the ring finally closed. 

This time the small ring on top is a split ring, sewing in tails on either side after making an overhand tie. 

TIP : But there's a way to end on a SR without sewing, too.

4. How would it look if the size of beads was inverted? So, large black wooden beads on the inside and small seed beads (17/0) on the outside! 4 seed beads per wooden bead. 

This time I decided to make a mock ring and was going to make onion rings, but switched to a red Swarovski crystal surrounded by seed beads instead. Both used Floating Beads methods.

The black beads are strung through 5 strands of Anchor silk thread on shuttle1; and silver metallic thread with seed beads on shuttle2. 

My idea was to have the red colour show up in the stitches between the black beads. How wrong was I! Unless I used reverse (unflipped) stitches, the red is hidden. Felt like a fool, but didn't feel like undoing the first few stitches, so continued.

QUICK TIP : Tatting with Metallic thread 

This metallic thread is pretty much a wire with silver thread wrapped around it and it was difficult to get a flipped stitch, especially the first half stitch.... till I hit upon a little movement!

1. Floating beads at the start, and an open chain in progress which will be joined back into a mock ring using a lock join.

2. Making the 1st half stitch. The silk thread does not have enough strength to make the metallic thread flip. With any free finger/thumb, gently push the loop indicated by arrow ... push it upwards and it's a Flip!!!

[The inset shows how direct tatting would've worked.]

3. And there it is - the 1st hs. The 2nd half stitch poses no problem. 

And that's it for now. Other ideas percolating in my head will have to wait for another day.

Isn't it amazing how simple variations and combinations can create a range of effects?!

Design TIP : The size of the down/inner bead, besides the size of thread used, affects the size of the earring as is evident above. The up beads do not affect size of ring. 

The double layer of beads adds stability of shape and structure, besides the visual effect.

And this is such an easy but versatile pattern that one can make a pair for every dress!

Many many thanks, Jill, for your gracious, exciting, and enjoyable gift ...

made me push my beading boundaries 💖