Yet More on Hiding Ends

Following on from the finishing with a SSSR post, I've been thinking about what to do when the last ring is attached (which, more often that not, it is!) - how do you hide the ends then?  Well, instead of hiding the end coming from the chain into the first half of your SSSR, you leave it, make your ring, then use the thread from the chain to anchor your single-shuttle-split-ring.

Now I just want to say that this is just one method out of many that I use, depending on what I'm tatting, what it's going to be used for, etc.  I like to try new things but I know this won't suit some people, may not suit many people at all!  I'm just showing what I do for the sake of discussion.   I'm not telling anybody that they should do it my way, please experiment and make sure you're happy with the method if you want to use it.  Make sure it feels secure.  I just suddenly got worried that someone might blame me for their tatting falling apart!!

If you're happy with a knot and a sewing needle, there's no doubt it's a secure method of finishing your tatting!  It's just me and my aversion to sewing ends in...

Anyway, here are some photos on how to do this.  Connie was asking me about it and I have to mention that if you tat very tightly, you will find this difficult to accomplish.  It's slightly more difficult on a ring anyway as the knots tighten more than on a chain as you close the ring (particularly that last stitch which is where you want to pull back into).  So as you pull the ring closed, you have to keep those last few stitches between your fingers to make sure they don't tighten up too much or you won't be able to get the threads back through.  It took me a few goes to get this right.

Later... I just tried this again on the last piece I was making.  It is difficult with that last stitch on the ring being quite tight, yet it needs to be tight if you want your ring to be closed nice and snug and the same size as the others...  so I need to think a little further on this... it's "doable" but I need to see if there's a slightly easier way.  Will keep you posted.


26.05.11 - I've been working on this again and found a solution to that last stitch of the ring being too tight.  I put a pin (sewing pin) in the last double stitch while making it, meaning I make my last two half-stitches around the pin so that they are not so tight (remove the pin once you've closed the ring).  That makes it much easier to pull the loop back through.  I will add a picture of this as soon as possible.

Then fold your working thread onto itself
and let the shuttle fall to the back of your
hand to start finger-tatting for the second
half ofthe split ring.

Start with making the first part of your last ring as normal.

All stitches of your split ring are now completed.

Your ring is now closed.
Cut the thread left from the chain
and pass it through the loop.  Then pull
your loop back by pulling on the
thread that is still attached to the
other shuttle.

Start closing your ring by pulling
on the appropriate side of your loop.

Continue pulling the loop back,
making sure you leave a tiny bit of slack on the thread
to be pulled back through (in this case, the blue thread).
You only want it to go back a few stitches - with
a bit of practice you will feel the thread going back
inside the stitches between your fingers and know
when to stop pulling.

Loop pulled all the way back
and the threads are now secure
within the stitches of the ring
 with just the two thread ends left to cut.

You're done!

Is it any good with the pictures right in the post like this, or is it better with the pictorial over at Flickr?

Best wishes,