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A split chain isn't really frivolous but since the technique will appear in future Frivolous Frivolité items, this seemed like the best place to put it! A Split Chain - SC - is used in tatting mainly to "climb out" or "bridge" from one round in a motif or doily to get to the next round and continue on without cutting and rejoining the threads. It is called a Split Chain because it is worked in two parts. The first part is worked as a regular chain (from left to right) and the remainder is worked from right to left. Another technique used to climb out or bridge is by making a Split Ring. Following is a small practice motif which requires thread wound onto two shuttles with the continuous method. First of all, though, here is a Handy Hint from   Let's start the motif with: ROUND 1: Ring of 8 - 4 - 8 (8 Double Stitches, Picot, four Double Stitches, Picot, 8 Double Stitches). Work a total of five Rings (joining each Ring to the previous one, as indicated on diagram directly above, then joining the last to the first) and five Chains (8 - 8) between each ring, as indicated. Then join the last chain with a Lock Join (see below) to where you began. DO NOT CUT THE THREAD. ROUND 2: Work a Split Ring as indicated (8/8) to climb out/bridge to the next round. Continue the round with Rings of 6 + 6 and chains of 8 - 8 until the first half of the final chain (without the picot) has been worked. This is where you have to work a SC (which is worked., in this case, from Right to Left) - from the Split Ring back to where you stopped on the last chain. You might say, "Oh, that's easy. Just do Lark's Head Knots". The problem, though, is that the space isn't large enough to get your shuttle through to form the knots so the solution is to make what is called a Split Chain. It would be a good idea to practice a SC working on a kilt pin or something similar. The part of the pin with the point will represent the core thread of the Lark's Head Knots. Hold the pin as in the diagram with the point to the left. The portion of the thread from where the "long tail" on the diagram is tied to the pin., going towards the right, will represent the core thread coming from last DS you made on the last chain of the motif. Close the pin and take the thread over to the right side of the pin (this represents the small space between the first ring and the first chain on the motif) and join where indicated on the diagram with a Lock Join. |
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To work the Lock Join, insert your hook from the back of the work into the ring at the
right end of the pin. Take the core thread over to the right and with the hook, pull a
loop of this thread through to the back. Pass the shuttle through this loop from front to
back and pull it tight. The part of the pin with the thread running alongside it (as well as the thread) will be the core. On the motif this will be only a single thread which is not so easy to work over since it is flexible and inclined to stretch). To work the first half of the first stitch, with the thread from the Lock Join, allow a loop to fall down the back of the pin (first illus. which follows). With the point/hook on your shuttle, pull this loop through to the front of the pin and pass the same shuttle through this loop from top to bottom. Make sure that the loop-thread is not twisted. Pull the shuttle downwards and snug the stitch as far to the right side as it will go. At this point the stitch looks as if it's up-side down - it is. It will straighten up (with the bar to the top) once you complete the second half of the stitch. |
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Next, allow the shuttle thread to hang down in a loop at the front of the pin. |
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Bring the loop through from front to back with the hook and pass the shuttle through this
loop. Again, don't allow it to twist. Before tightening up this second half of the stitch,
pull the first half up so that the bar is at the top of the pin. Pull up on the shuttle to
tighten the second half then snug it up close to the first half. This equals a DS. Work
a few more until you're quite sure of the method. Now back to the motif: Take the thread coming from the core of the last DS worked on the last chain over to the small space between the SR and the first chain of this round. Make a Lock Join leaving the thread between the last DS and the LJ just a tad shorter (for some reason it seems to stretch when the knots are added) than the length of the first half of the chain. (This particular chain splits in half - be aware that some do not.) This will be the core thread onto which you will work the knots. Now work eight "DS", using the method you just practiced over the pin, from right to left making the required number of stitches when you will meet the last DS on the first half of the chain. Now we'll work a False Picot with a Lock Stitch to get to the next round without cutting the thread. False Picot: This is another technique used to climb out/bridge. Do not Reverse Work. Leave a small space (approx 1/8") on the thread from the left then work a Lock Stitch, as follows: Lock Stitch: This is made by working with the shuttle coming from the right side of the chain. Make one half of a DS as usual then the second half with an untransferred stitch. (Or vice versa - TEENY TATMOUSE suggests you might want to try both ways to see which one works for you.) Once locked, the length of the picot will not change so be sure it is the size you want. if you inadvertently work a regular DS the picot will tend to close up once you work the next stitches. When using this False Picot technique to climb out/bridge, make sure the subsequent matching picots in the same round are the same size as this one. Now work the final round of the motif with chains of 10 DS then a Josephine Ring..... |
TEENY TATMOUSE thinks it's easier to make a |
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| .....then 10 DS. Cut and finish thread-ends as you usually do. |
Happy Tatting
one shuttle - counting how many turns it takes to put on the
amount of thread you want. Don't cut your thread. Say, for
example, this took 60 turns... now continue winding the thread
over and around the widest part of this shuttle for approximately
three-quarters the number of turns you did within the shuttle
(in this case it will be 45 turns). Cut the thread from the ball. Now
wind your second shuttle from the thread wound over the first one.