Rose & Crown

* * * UPDATE * * *
(29.03.14)

I'm going with Megan's suggestion (thank you!)
and will call this motif

Rose & Crown

I originally tatted this a while ago when experimenting with interlocking rings.  There was renewed interest in the photo which was in my In Tatters album and some ladies were keen for me to write the pattern.

I decided that although they are doable with a shuttle, interlocking rings are much easier with a needle!  So this motif is for those who are happy to needle as well as shuttle tat.  Of course, for needle tatters, you can do the whole thing on a needle but I'm sooo much quicker with my shuttle that I'm happy to switch back as soon as I've completed the central rings.

Using size 20 and a suitable needle:

R11-2--2-11 (-- denotes a longer picot)

Before making the next ring, pass the tip of your needle through the ring previously made and then make the stitches.

(please note that my rings in the photos are 11-1--1-11

but 11-2--2-11 does work out better, I just forgot when I

did this sample for the photos!)

Repeat until you have four rings.  

The last ring is the trickiest.  When you have pulled the stitches off the needle, do not close the ring straight away.  Pass your needle back through the first ring from front to back.

In this next photo, my needle has gone through to the back of the

first ring, and you can also see the loop that you need to put

your needle through to close the ring.

Here's the important part:

You must put this loop to the back in between the two rings,

THEN pass the needle through the loop to close the last ring.

That way, all your rings will have the same over-under look.

This is a little bit fiddly to do and you must adjust your threads

so they fall in the right place in the centre of your interlocking rings.

Here's the last ring closed.

The thread from your needle is at the back of your work

but you will find that the thread from your ball is still poking

through the front of the last ring.

You can now cut the ball thread,

take it to the back, tie, and hide ends.

You can then attach one shuttle and ball

to the left of the three picots on your ring

and continue with the second part of the motif.

You don't need much thread on your shuttle

as the rest of the design is all made with chains.

C5-5, join to third picot

C3-3, join to first picot of next ring

Repeat all the way around, join back at the beginning.

C9+C1-1-1-1+(in same picot), C9, join between chains below

C3-1--1-3, join between chains below

Repeat all the way around.

Join back at beginning.

You're done!

You may find there is some tension when you complete the design,

I find this is mostly due to using a chain instead of a ring

at the tip of the arms.

It will also be better with the 11-2--2-11 count

which I did not use on this sample!

But just a bit of finger pressing is all that is needed

to bring it into shape.

I hope you like it!

Oh, and can anyone think of a pretty name for it?

Seems a shame to have it "nameless"…

but sadly, inspiration hasn't struck yet...

Best wishes,

Frivole