Tatting Tutorial
Part 1 : Over & Under Rings : Front to Back Shuttle Movement
Judith Connors shared a beautiful Interlaced Rings Braid
in a thread she had started on InTatters : Reverse Stitch.
The photograph revealed a braid consisting of 2 columns of interlinked split rings.
All She revealed was that it was made using 4 shuttles ! Yup,
that was our only clue .
I have been trying out Interlocking Rings using shuttles . So I jumped right in, in order to assess how much I
had learned, how much I could apply, how much I could transfer, …
I did not
refer to any tutorial this time ( a self-imposed challenge).
What started out as personal memory aid to refer back to in
future, has now been converted into a tutorial that I'd like to share with you
in the hopes that it may help some new tatters. If there are already some
tutorials out there, I’d be happy to include the link(s) in my Resources page.
Please leave a comment with any details you may have.
A Brief Note :
Firstly, when asked about designer & credits, Judith
wrote : “They
were illustrated in four colours (one for each shuttle) in the mid-1990s in an
IOLI Bulletin. It is an advanced braid which anyone could devise, so there is
really no designer to credit.”
Secondly, there are 2 ways the rings can overlap:
Each ring in Column 2 can go over & under the
corresponding ring in Column 1 (Front to Back movement of shuttle #3).
Or,
Each ring in Column 2 can go under & over the corresponding
ring in Column 1 (Back to Front movement of shuttle #3).
Thirdly, the major part of the tatting process remains the
same; it is only while interlacing, that either of the 2 movements
mentioned above, come into the picture. And this one step determines how the
rings will lie in relation to each other.
And there is no right or wrong side in the braid; it is reversible – the
relative overlap direction remains the same from both views. (Compare Figs. 7 & 8 below)
To avoid confusion, I am posting the tutorial in 2 parts,
each part tackling one overlap direction.
Common Details :
Thread used : Anchor Mercer Cotton size 20.
Lemon Yellow – 4054-0293 & Mehandi
Green – 4054-0256
Length of braid : 13 pair repeats = 5 inches.
It took less than half a bobbin of each shuttle to tat this
length. So fully wound shuttles should give you a length of anywhere from 12-15
inches.
Abbreviations used :
CTM – continuous thread method
Sh – shuttle. Each shuttle is numbered from 1 to 4 : Sh1, Sh2
form one pair ; Sh3 & Sh4 form 2nd pair.
SR – Split Ring
RS – Reverse stitch (used in some pictures to indicate 2nd
half of split ring stitches)
DNCR – Do not close ring.
Directions/Preparations :
Start with 4 shuttles & wind threads :
1st pair - Sh1 & Sh2 : Wind yellow thread CTM
2nd pair – Sh3 & Sh4 : Wind green thread CTM
Each Split Ring : 9/9
FRONT TO BACK
INTERLACED RINGS
It is through this
unclosed loop that the adjoining SR will be interlaced.
2. Pass Sh3 through the unclosed yellow ring from front to back. Fig. 1.
3. Wrap this Sh3 thread to start the green split ring & tat SR2. Figs 2, 3, & 4 show the SR2 being completed.
UPDATE : See how to pick up and wrap the loop around the hand to start tatting this ring in this pictorial.
UPDATE : See how to pick up and wrap the loop around the hand to start tatting this ring in this pictorial.
4. Both rings now have their complete count of ds, but
before starting to close, Pass the Sh3
through SR1 from front to back again ! Fig. 5
This is an important
step as explained & shown at the end *
5. Now close both rings. Pull on Sh 1 to close SR1, the
yellow ring; and pull on Sh3 to close SR2, the green ring. Figs 6 & 7.
Continue in similar fashion, starting with SR1, for as long
as you would like the braid.
* Step #4 : This is
an important step because you want both Sh3 & Sh4 threads to lay side by
side together. If one forgets to pass the shuttle a second time, then the Sh3
& Sh4 threads will lie in opposite directions, as seen in image below, & will interfere when making the next green SR. (I made this mistake on my
very first attempt & had to unwind Sh3, manually pull that long thread
through the ring front to back, & then rewind again).
TIPS : Working
with 4 shuttles
Working with 4 shuttles can be quite fiddly with tangled
threads to track !
I find that laying the 3 unused shuttles in proper sequence,
on a flat surface such as table top or bed, keeps the threads untangled &
also helps maintain even tension while working. Simply pull out a comfortable
length of thread from the 3 ‘non-working’ shuttles so that they lie separately
on the table, without getting in the way of tatting.
Judith has another useful tip : To save the shuttles tangling, use a piece of
BlueTak (modelling clay) to stick the unused shuttles together. Then swap it
over as you change shuttles.
TIPS : Applications
of Interlaced Rings Braid
There are loads of possibilities for Interlaced Split Rings.
* Edgings, Bracelets, Braids, etc.
* Use single color, 2 colors, 3 colors, 4 colors for variety
* Placement of colors can alter the look & focus of the
pattern. eg. Sh1 & Sh4 with same color while the 2 center shuttles are of a
different color. Thus one will have overlap in centre, and a kind of outline at
the sides, all along the length.
* Add picots, thrown rings, Josephine knots/rings, etc. etc.
to make it more interesting.
* Add beads along the edges or in the center !
These are only a few that come to my mind.
What would
You Creative Tatters do ?
Love to read your ideas & see your projects :-))
Part 2 of tutorial has been posted : Back to Front movement for Under & Over Interlaced Rings
