My Method of Opening a Ring in Shuttle Tatting

[carolivy]

I thought I would share my method of opening a ring with you as it is totally different from all the other methods I have seen. I hope I have explained it well enough with the photos and the text, but if not, please don't hesitate to ask me to clarify something.

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I should add that the thread used in this demo is size 10 but I have done this method of opening rings with thread all the way down to my machine embroidery thread (120/2). Depending on the sharpness of the pick and the thread involved whether I use just the pick or one of my tatting needles. If you don't have tatting needles, any fine tipped blunt needle will work here.

[frakira]

Thanks carolivy.. I have no problem with opening rings in standard way, but I think your idea is great and I think I will use it for rings without picots ;-)

[carolivy]

I should say that it was Linda Davies who inspired me with this method of opening the ring. I got the idea from her video for Split Chains.

Frakira, I always had problems opening rings using the core thread between the picots. I think when I close rings I close them so tightly that the last stitch unflips making it virtually impossible to open the ring that way.

[Beth]

I will try it, because I have problems opening rings. In fact, I can't... so far. :-)

[Beth]

I will try it, because I have problems opening rings. In fact, I can't... so far. :-)

Thank you for sharing your method! :-)

[rsmre]

Thanks for sharing, and I hope I never have to use it. :)

[crazytatter]

Thanks for the tip, I think I use a mixture of your method and the traditional way. somehow my last stitch always flip when I try to open it. Magnify glasses is a must when I need to open my rings.

[Lynn]

Interesting, Carol. That's like retrotatting a split chain.

A few years ago, I think at the advise of PattyD, I started posting my shuttle through the ring before closing. This was to coax the ring to close more completely and reorient the thread to begin the next element. But I found that it also helps prevent that last DS from unflipping when it becomes necessary to open a ring. It's also helpful to hold the complete ring in your pinch until you have all the thread you need pulled through.

[GraceT]

Ah. I've had to reopen rings quite a few times already in my short career as a tatter (not sure what method, but usually I have to undo the last double stitch). I find that sometimes my last double stitch has flipped, but occasionally it hasn't, it's just really tight. And sometimes it looks like I ought to post the shuttle through to untwist the ring before closing, but sometimes there's no twist. From now onwards I'll try posting the shuttle through to undo all the twisting, and see if that reduces the flipping of the last double stitch. (Of course, I will also try to read the patterns more carefully so I don't have to reopen those rings!)

[Patsy]

Thank You! Thank You! I always have a problem with this. I will give your method a try.