First verdict: I like it! Second verdict: I can tat that! Fact: did it!
Did various tests:
From left to right:
- 1 shuttle and some thread (as for a ball), Lizbeth 40;
- 2 shuttles and 2 colour, also Lizbeth 40 (Charcoal and Jewel);
- 3 shuttles, polyester thread, rests of shuttles.
I ended up by doing the pattern for this one:
Finca thread , 12 size, green and dark red (not a first choice for tatting, but good enough to waste it in tests).
2 shuttles.
If working dimpled rings is not for beginners, than this is a pattern for intermediate skilled tatters. But cute enough to motivate to learn the dimpled rings, I think.
Fill the shuttles with a decent amount of thread.
Shuttle 1 (black) tat ring: 30 ds, close (you can do it smaller if you want... it is anyway the ring for the clasps).
Rotate work and take shuttle 2 (Red).
Work dimpled ring: 10 - 3 (working loop) 3 + 10. After 10 - 3 you let a big loop from the core thread (so you can form nicelly the heart), work 3 ds, make join, 10 ds, close carefully. For reference: here (for Sue Hanson's way). Addendum: Ninetta sent me her tutorial for the dimpled rings. Amazing how this thing looks easy with her hands! And funny title for her blog entry: "Hearts can hurt"
Do not turn work.
Start chain (black for the chain, red for the core thread): 20 - 5, make lock join. (preferably take the whole picot from the heart and not in between the threads).
Turn work, start chain: 20 ds.
Switch the position of the shuttles using SLT.
Turn work, with shuttle 1 (black) work ring : 20 + 20, close, rotate work.
With shuttle 2 (red) work dimpled ring.
Repeat for the desired length.
Variations: if you add beads for the shuttle for the hearts, you can use them by sliding them in the core thread loop at the middle of the dimpled ring, see the second test.
If you want to play a bit more, add more beads on the shuttles, you just have to plan them a bit better.
For this one, the beaded section of the chain is worked: 5 bp 3 dp 3 bp 5 (bp = beaded picot, dp = diamond beaded picot).
Donn't get stuck with my count of ds, change them so they fit to your thread. There is always a little surprise around the corner when a pattern is worked with different threads.
Have fun. For questions, I am always somehow here.
