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