Double rings on a chain are a problem that I want to revisit. I have a pattern at present that I need this for. It is in size 80 so I do not want to get it wrong. I have used two colors to try to make it easier to see what is going on. This experiment is using size 20. In the photos, the rings that stack 3 high are the ones I am concerned with, and mostly just the upper 2 of those. The blue rings on the bottom are only to have something to attach to. I did not hide tails or anything fancy, I just want to know where the threads go and maybe find out the best looking method. My goal is to have the rings align and the threads to come out ready for the next chain. Lets begin with a couple of ways to do it.
(All photos are above the comments associated with them.)
First, I tried a thrown ring on top. I tatted the first chain, added the lower ring and attached it, then did a thrown ring with the chain thread. If I had tightened this, it may have aligned a bit better, but I still have a bit of gap in the middle. I could probably live with that, but can I get it better?
Next I tried just tatting the top ring with the core thread. You can see that it shifts to the right and the ball thread has a gap coming to the other side to pick up making the next chain.
Now, to pull the threads together, I tried first looping the core back at the base of the ring, then making the ring, but even before I make the ring I can see the core thread does not shift and the alignment will still be off.
Instead, I made the top ring, then did the loopback this was some better, but still not quite what I wanted.
Turning it over, the back does not look good. You can see where I had to carry the ball thread to the other side.
Next I tried looping again, but this time I passed the chain thread through the loop along with the core thread. Now it is looking a lot better.
The back side now has a clear separation, the ring bases are aligned and the chain continues (left, because its upside down) and looks better. This is what I will probably be doing from now on. Now let me clarify the "looping". The next 3 pictures are an attempt to show what I am doing. It is really simpler than it probably looks.
The first photo shows that I inserted a hook left of the rings and pulled up a loop, easier seen in the second photo. I passed both threads through this loop then pulled it up tight. The last photo is to show that when I do this, the upper ring flips over so the thread comes under the chain correctly.
Does this mean that this is gospel? NO! This is just my findings and what I think I will like. Any way you can do it is quite valid as long as it works for you. I just hope this helps someone trying to do this.
Love your experiments! I've used the loop a few times since 2015, including for stabilising thrown onion ring, which worked fine.
ReplyDeleteBut I really like the effect of the last one. Didn't think to pass the other shuttle through the loop too.
My current problem, though, is that I want the chain thread colour across the double ring base. I cut off the last round of a snowflake because I couldn't get the effect I wanted.
I think applying your last method, but using a loop from the chain & both shuttles through, should do the trick. Eager to check it out.
Thanks for sharing :-) Great pics !
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your experiments and results!
ReplyDeleteI recently used a technique found in Elgiva Nicholls Tatting Book, republished by Dover. Working a chain, make a thrown ring, make a second thrown ring next to the first, tatting it RODS, pull the ring up a bit, turn it inside out, close the ring. Result: front facing, inverted, thrown ring.
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