interwoven beaded bracelet

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As promised, here is another pattern and technique reveal from my bead tatting post back in May. All relevant links are listed at the end of this post.

A simple name - Muskaan's Interwoven Beaded Bracelet, made using four shuttles with pre-strung beads on each and Barbara Arango's variation of the Interlocking split rings technique.

Above is a practice pattern I am sharing. As you can see in the inset, traditionally 4 shuttles are used and the split rings are tatted simultaneously, lying close to each other. The idle pair of shuttles is passed through the open SR and then the ring is closed so that the next SR will is encapsulated and overlap with the previous. video link at end

Barbara used the flexibility of 4 shuttles to distance the SRs with a chain between two SRs. She used it to create the desired effect in a round doily! 

Practice Pattern: 

To keep track, I used 4 different thread colours in each shuttle....

Sh1: yellow; Sh2: cream; Sh3: pink; Sh4: blue.

I started with two normal rings.

Sh1) R1: 18. dnrw, SS

Sh2) Ch1: 6.

Sh3) R2: 18. dnrw, SS [insert R1 through R2]

Sh4) Ch2: 6.

Sh1) SR3: 9 / 9. dnrw, SS  [pass shuttles 3 & 4 back to front through SR3 before closing it]

Sh2) Ch3: 6.

Sh3) SR4: 9 / 9. dnrw, SS  [pass shuttles 1 & 2 back to front through SR4 before closing it]

Sh4) Ch4: 6.

Continue the SR steps for desired length.

Posting the shuttles front to back will give the opposite overlap.

Having 4 shuttles meant I could have beaded strings instead of Barbara's chains between the SRs! Which led to the bracelet above. 

Muskaan's Interwoven Beaded Bracelet   ©May2025

String all 4 shuttles with seed beads. In my model worked with Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8 ---

Sh1 & Sh2 with teal thread, CTM, and purple seed beads

Sh3 & Sh4 with dark purple thread, CTM, and yellow seed beads

Follow the process and instructions as explained in the practice pattern. However, instead of chain, slide beads from both shuttles before starting the next ring or SR. 

Sharing only the repeated portion of the pattern ---

Sh1) R1: 3 [- 3]x7. Slide 5 beads from Sh1 & 2. dnrw, SS

Sh3) R2: 3 [- 3]x7. Slide 5 beads from Sh3 & 4. dnrw, SS [insert R1 through R2]

Sh1) SR3: 3 [- 3]x3 / 3 [- 3]x3. Slide 5 beads from Sh1 & 2. dnrw, SS [pass shuttles 3 & 4 back to front through SR3 before closing it] 

Sh3) SR4: 3 [- 3]x3 / 3 [- 3]x3. Slide 5 beads from Sh3 & 4. dnrw, SS [pass shuttles 1 & 2 back to front through SR4 before closing it] 

Repeat SR3 and SR4 for desired length. 

Posting the shuttles front to back will give the opposite overlap.

I ended with a curled ring (see inset) that works as a toggle for a quick & lazy finish.

Note: The beads are a slightly different size. Unfortunately I can't find my notes but I remember there was a little TIP I wanted to share. Oh well, perhaps I will find it some day and make a proper PDF presentation. 

Future Ideas - Add more beads in place of the picots. Throw off rings or decorative picots on one or either side. Attach more braids with same or additional colour for a broader version. The alternate SRs can differ in size or different sized threads can be used.

UPDATE (18th Aug, 2025) - Splocik has used the tweaked braid as a foundation, adding rounds around it, for two bookmark versions here - https://oczka2.blogspot.com/2025/08/zakladka-na-podstawie-motywu.html

💛💛💛

INTERWOVEN  versus  INTERLOCKING

Often the two are used interchangeably in tatting terminology. Confining myself to the split ring braids,  there are several techniques and effects that tatters have created over the years. These may range from a single row of split rings (called a SR braid or cord), or a double row where the SRs are interlaced and lie adjacent to each other. 

Or the braids may lie 'stacked' with overlapping SRs. These are the SR braids that are interwoven where the SRs from two braids lie intertwined through each other. These are also called interlocking SR braids and can be made with either 2 or 4 shuttles - two independent braids woven through each other; a foundational braid encapsulated within the second on-going braid; simultaneously tatting the SRs using 4 shuttles. 

Then there is the 3D chain maille effect where each subsequent SR lies at right angles to the previous one just like in interlocking chains and links in jewellery. I prefer to call these 3D SR braids Interlocked and the 'flat' ones Interwoven. This gives a more exacting visual especially since there are several ways to interweave and interlock the braids, whether 2D or 3D. 

Related Posts and Links -  
Simple interweaving - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/03/exciting-firsts.html 
Interlocking split rings 2 Karen Cabrera Lesson 79 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR04RLHdmA0   (2 shuttles)
Interlocking split rings 2 Karen Cabrera Lesson 80 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBrDRLFibO8   (4 shuttles)
How to start and end SR without a knot - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2016/11/beginning-or-ending.html 
SR braids, including beaded, some with pictorials - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search?q=SR+braid 

Interlaced SR braids with pictorials and patterns - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search?q=interlaced+SR
Tatting with Beads - a few effects - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/bead-tatting.html

quick tatting

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 I first shared a pic of my Fan Palm motif or pendant here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/bead-tatting.html . Now I have the pattern ready --- 

Fan Palm Motif/Pendant by Muskaan (March2025) pattern PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16amEUnVT7ERSySRJqbMsj0af0Xu_MFsP/view

It is a simple motif that can be worked with a ball and shuttle and the beads are not pre-strung. 

It is a prototype I made to show beads over/on a picot. These beads are slipped over the long measured picots at the time of joining. Or they can be slipped over the picot while it is being formed, and held with a paper clip or marker. I prefer the former to avoid beads and clips getting in the way of smooth tatting. 

Measuring the Picot (including using beads as a picot gauge) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kk6rtyIUvo5JFA5u3vE3ruU2Z7zQ9fuq/view

I deliberately chose to do a mock ring since I did not know how big I wanted it. And then made an under-over or alligator join across the start of the chain. There are several ways to make the under-over join (alligator join is only one of them). Refer to my pictorials here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/05/mock-rings-1-under-and-over-join.html  and https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/05/mock-rings-1-u-o-join-continued.html

The diagram in the PDF is simply a guide. You can choose to tat with two shuttles if you wish to empty them of leftover threads. You can even work the mock ring as a true ring and without need for an under-over join. 

For a plain, flat leaf, avoid any beads on the picots. 

I used 4mm beads, but you can choose smaller ones and adjust their number accordingly. Oh dear, I've been so flaky lately that I forgot to take a pic of this on a chain. Hmm, not too difficult to imagine, right?

This is such a quick tat, really, and easily adaptable to any thread and bead size. Or go all around for a floral motif! Hope you enjoy the pattern. 

bead tatting

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Over the past couple of years I have approached many experienced and expert or domain tatters for some explanation or confirmation and feedback, or even to ask for a pic of their work ... all in the cause of the book/glossary. Not only have I learned a lot, but everybody has been very cooperative!

Late last year I had approached Nina Libin regarding her BEANILe tatting and if she would share a pic of one of her models for the book (I didn't like any of the beaded models I had tatted till then). Despite her ailment, she willingly obliged with both an explanation and a pic. However, she was adamant on one point - do NOT call it Beanile or BEANILe lace! Shocked, I asked her why and she said it was merely her 'arrogance' for wanting her name associated with the term. She told me in no uncertain terms to call it Bead Tatting instead. 

Bead Tatting (formerly known as Beanile lace) is tatted lace decorated with lots of beads that are incorporated during the tatting process itself. Earlier the beads used to be strung on the ball thread so that they would embellish the picots. Nina was instrumental in stringing the beads in the shuttle thread as well, in order to position them in beautiful arrangements. 

I am uncertain about beads being used in single shuttle tatting before the introduction of chains (or 2nd thread). Did they use beads to cover bare thread between rings? Do you have any idea?

Nina differentiated this from Beaded Tatting, where beads are sewn into finished lace, as in ANKARS. 

Tatting with Beads is another common term. This would mean that beads are used in lace either during tatting, pre-strung or free, or stitched in later .... any which way(s). Thus this term encompasses both Bead and Beaded tatting and any other method (for instance pinning down beads on a foam ornament covered with tatted lace).

It would be great if you leave a comment with  your thoughts on the matter or any other input you may have. 

Now despite what Nina says and wishes, it will be difficult to erase the term Beanile lace from our tatting lexicon! And the terms above are not airtight categories! We all use them interchangeably.

Some of my recent bead tatting samples ... all are my own designs applied in different situations or techniques. See if you can guess them!  Since these are all prototypes, mostly tatted on the go, there are minor errors or untidiness. 

1 - Beads On / Over Picot

UPDATE (June2025): Fan Palm Motif/Pendant pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/16amEUnVT7ERSySRJqbMsj0af0Xu_MFsP/view

2

3

4

5 - 4-shuttle Interwoven SR braid Barbara Arango's variation -

UPDATE (July 2025): Muskaan's Interwoven Beaded Bracelet pattern.

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/07/interwoven-beaded-bracelet.html

At a future date I will try to share more details about each model, and a pattern wherever possible. At present I'm just relieved to write this post which has been pending for so long.

I have tried to keep in touch with Nina, as she requested, sending out an email every 4 to 6 weeks. However, I haven't heard back from her for several months now. Sending her my best wishes for good, manageable health. 

Read her interview here - http://www.beadsky.com/nina_libin.php

Many many thanks to Nina Libin for her continued help and support through the past 10 years and the inspiration her work continues to provide !