Thursday 26 July 2012

Interlocking Rings

Well, it all started when I saw the post by Rachel Colvin Jackson about her free pattern called "Rosalie" which I thought looked so pretty I wanted to have a go.  But I'm useless with needle tatting!  I tried with the centre motif but I just couldn't get it looking neat and tidy with the needle.  So then I started to search for interlocking rings with a shuttle - can it be done?  Surely it can.

Karen Cabrera to the rescue!  She has a video on interlocking rings with a shuttle - yeah.
Thanks so much Karen!
(Sadly I never got to watch the video to the end as it appears to be jammed... can that happen with YouTube? - I'm still unable to view it at the moment).

So I watch and I try.  I'm not there yet.  But here is the fruit of my labour this evening:


I still can't quite figure out what I'm doing... but I'm doing something!
And I like it.

These interlocking rings are made with one shuttle.

Now I need to figure out which direction I'm going and how to make
six of them going the right way so I can join them into a ring.


Anybody out there more of an expert on this?  Have you tried interlocking rings?  That bit on the left  nearly looks like the Olympic rings which is appropriate at this time in the UK!

Best wishes,

13 comments:

  1. I tried some before from just reading one of Rachel's patterns and guessing(I didn't know about the video), but I too had some trouble and I was so busy with other projects I have not gotten back to attempting it again, but I sure plan on it when I am able to again. :)
    I really like what I am seeing of yours! :)

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  2. Even if the rings are not as you planned them, they look fun. I can see the long string of them being a lanyard or bracelet.

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  3. Oh boy! We're cooking with gas now! I never knew it could be done with a shuttle. I made Green Knotts by unwinding and rewinding and then I got the long skinny shuttle which only mostly worked but this-this looks very intriguing! Thanks for finding it!

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  4. Thanks for finding the video. have now been practicing for the past two hours, still trying to get the last ring to interlock??? thankfully the video is working for me, here goes attempt 4

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  5. I'm very pleased to see this post! I look forward to your experiments!

    I had been admiring the interlocking rings/chains that I saw on Rachel's blog. She does beautiful work with her tatting needle. And I also longed to do the patterns in Ruth Perry's (Rozella Linden's) wonderful Celtic tatting books, where she includes instructions for both the needle and the shuttle.

    However, I couldn't even do the basic weave for Rozella's pumpkin earrings, and was downright envious that Michelle managed to make them! It also came to the conclusion that the most efficient way to do Celtic weaving is with a tatting needle; but I prefer the shuttle.

    Then a few months ago I found Karen's excellent blog and incredible videos, especially the one on Celtic 'woven' tatting; and I immediately saw that she was using a 'netting' needle rather than a shuttle and, importantly, she was tatting in 'Reverse Riego' style. Although I prefer 'slip and slide', Reverse Riego seems to be the most efficient way to manipulate the netting needle; and the netting needle is perfect tool for us shuttle tatters to use for Celtic tatting!

    However, as I have not yet obtained a netting needle, I haven't been able to practice using one, but I hope to get one soon. I'm indebted to Karen for giving me hope that I CAN master these Celtic interwoven rings and chains!

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  6. I love the interlocking rings, I don't know anything about them, so I look forward to learning more.

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  7. Well done on trying the rings, I look at Rachel's patterns and wonder if I could do the rings, I am not a needle tatter although I did buy a needle a few months ago and have not had time to try it.
    I would love to see the video do you have a link for it.

    Margaret

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    1. Hi Margaret, as you know, I'm not a needle tatter either! So I just had to find a way of making this with a shuttle. Hopefully you'll see the next post soon and see that it can be done and looks great! The link for the video is right there in the post, just click on the text where it says "Karen Cabrera to the Rescue" in blue text. That's the link. There's a link to it in the following post as well.

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  8. I've tried it but I still need to get the position of the loop thread right for the next ring. My rings ended up interlocking on some parts, with the side before the picot over the previous ring and the side after the picot under the subsequent ring, and some lying above the other rings.

    An interesting method and worth exploring further. Thank you for sharing the link.

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    1. I'm glad you said that Jon because I was having similar problems - I wasn't sure which way I was suppose to hold the tatting to make the next ring and where it was supposed to interlock. But I got it now! Just made another post as I was so excited to get it right this morning. Worth persevering with, the method works great.

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  9. Fabulous job.....but this is one of those times that I think needle tatting is the way to go,,,,just as, when throwing rings, shuttle tatting is the way to go.

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  10. I just watched your video and can't wait to give interlocking rings a try! Thanks for posting!

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  11. Good post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Appreciate it!
    biker cross rings

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