Beaded chain, Nina's Libin method

I empty my shuttles and play, or learn, or test while I am doing it.
This time I had some beads on the shuttle, so I fooled around with some rings and beads. I used Nina's Libin method: tat the ring normally and then climb on top of the ring with the bead which will stay in the ring. So smart and simple. What I added was this little "collar". It ended up to be a nice chain or braid and I intend to use it as the middle part of a bracelet.

How I did it:

	Starting point.
	Work ring
	Turn work that you have the starting end of the chain to your right, wrap the thread to make a ring.
	Work the ring and close it. Do not rush, you want it to close nicely, on the back side of the chain.
	Bring 1 bead from the shuttle and place it in the ring.
	Make lock join to fix the bead in place.

Of course, I could not resist, and I made a variant, by bringing another bead between the rings: 

After the lock join, bring one bead, make the next ring. Turn work, make "collar ring", close, bring the bead to place it in the ring. 

I worked this with Lizbeth 20, my beads were 1,5 mm. I used for the normal ring: 4 - 4 vsp 4 - 4, and for the collar ring: 12 ds. 

For the variant, the collar ring had 14 ds, so it lays flat. 

Remarks: 

1. Do not rush! The horizontal rings are a bit stuborn to close. The closing point has to be always on the back side of the work. You cannot trick it, it does not have a nice appearence. 

2. Choose, if possible, beads with a bit larger hole to place between the rings (for this variant). The lock join knot will be hidden by the hole and the chain has more stability. 

3. Make a test before, so you can know how many ds you will have to use. 

4. Careful when you start any new ring. No thread should be left visible. 

When I make my lock join I use a small trick, like this I do not have any surprise and I do not have any bare thread by accident. I pull the thread like for the Catherine Wheel join but I do not let it pass to the other side. I snug this loop by pulling the shuttle thread in my direction (holding the thread under my left thumb). Like this the knot is very tiny and even. I do not know if this was done before, but it works for me. 

I hope you will give it also a try, just tell me how it turned out. 

Happy tatting. 

"Bracelet searches for a nice wrist"

We learn. With every single thing that we see, or test. I had a lot to learn these past 3 months, not only tatting related.
But my tatting did not make any break.
I revisited some old patterns: my Reina bracelet, the choker Perla and the wrist watch.

 

 

Tatting bugs was a first for me. Believe or not, I did not really tat any butterfly until this contest from ALittleMarket.com. 

The theme: the dragonfly. After some browsing (how could I know it I am not stepping on someone's other path?) I made my own. Ankars style.

All done with polyester thread, the green facetted cristals beads are Bohemian ones, the dark red: agat. 

3 elements bracelet: the foundation: a common square motiv. The red flower: own pattern (1 shuttle flower, nothing interwoven, so no real pain to work every ring). 

And the dragonfly ended up quite decent. Ankars style means no bead added during the work. Everything is sewed after. 

The real test came after. I do not tat with a pattern in front of me, this makes the things not always easy. I never learn. 

I managed to work today again the dragonfly (as you see, 2 shuttle thing). I added some more vsp (for more stability) and, this time, the feelers are tatted in!

I made the pattern, tested it, made the ones with the beads schemes too (all the beads go on the shuttles).  I will post the pattern after I will let it be tested. 

But I feel happy about these feelers. I checked this way to add the beads for a small flower. It is really working fine. Guess it is something worth some more attention for 1 pattern or 2. 

Go back now to my testing.
Happy tatting.