Split ring bracelets

Today's blog offering is from Juliet Herring. She's happily sharing her pattern for these little bracelets.

Split-Ring Tatted Bracelet by Juliet Herring

Materials: 2 Tatting Shuttles, (I use Turkish No. 50, about a British 30), Hook type jewellery fastening, 2 spacer beads (about 2.5mm 3.0mm diameter), 1 focal bead (8mm/10mm diameter), a small pair of pliers to open and close the small attaching loop on the hook.

I use a Turkish No. 50 thread. I measure out a good 6 arms lengths of thread (about 4.5 to 5 meters). You may find you need less, depending on your own wrist size and I would rather have a bit too much thread that run out and have to join in. Using this thread will make a bracelet about 15.5cm long. Thicker thread will make a much longer bracelet, or you could just use less stitches in each ring (using a no. 20 thread you need to use at least 2/4 stitches less per ring). A bit of trial and error is need here.

Start by winding your thread so that half is on each shuttle (keeping the thread as one length).

Ring No. 1 Make a normal ring of 10 double stitches. You will later attach you jewellery fastening to this.

The next stage uses split rings and both shuttles.

Rings 2, 3 & 4. Split rings of 20 double stictches—10 double stitches made using the main shuttle, flip the ring around and work the 10 ‘false’ double stitches using the second shuttle.

Rings 3 and 4 as Ring 2.

Rings 5 & 6. Split rings of 24 double stitches—12 double stitches using the main shuttle, flip the ring around and work the 12 ‘false’ double stitches using the second shuttle.

Rings 7 & 8 Split rings of 28 double stitches—14 normal and 14 false.

Rings 9 & 10. Split rings of 32 double stitches—16 normal and 16 false.

Unwind both shuttles and thread on your beads—one spacer, one focal, one spacer. You can use a needle threader or bead loader for this (a bead loader is just a long-looped need threader. I make my own using ‘Beadalon’ 0.12” nylon coated stainless steel bead string wirebead jewellery wire. I cut a 15cm length, cold it in half and hold the ends together using a couple of French crimp beads, or tie them. I add a bead or two to make it easier to find when I drop it on the floor). Rewind your shuttles.

Rings 11 & 12. Split rings of 32 double stitches—16 normal and 16 false.

Rings 13 & 14. Split rings of 28 double stitches—14 normal and 14 false.

Rings 15 & 16. Split rings of 24 double stitches—12 normal and 12 false.

Rings 17 & 18. Split rings of 20 double stitches—10 normal and 10 false.

Ring 19—The last ring will be worked as a normal ring of 18 double stitches. Begin by cutting off the second shuttle, leaving yourself about 10cms of thread. Darn this end in to the first 9 double stitches. You do this by making each half of your stitch as normal, cross the thread and before tightening the stitch, pull the end from the second shuttle through the stitch to lie parallel with the ring thread. To work the second half of your ring, take a thinner thread (I use at 30cm length of British no 40) folded in half and darn this in to the next 8 and half double stitches (the fold loop first so that it ends up at the closing point of the ring. Finish the second half of your last stitch and close the ring. Cut the thread from the shuttle, again leaving yourself a working length of about 15 cm. Pass this through ring number 18 (for extra security I pass only a loop of it through 18 and pass the end through that to create a simple knot). Pass the end through the loop on the thread you worked into the last ring and then gently pull the free ends of this thinner thread, pulling the end back through the stitches of the ring.

Trim off the ends, attach your hook fastening to the ring 1 by opening the small ring on the hook and then reclosing it. Your bracelet is now finished, and no ends.

Notes.

Remember that when you are working your ‘false’ double stitches you must do the second half of the stitch first, then the first half to complete the stitch (and don’t cross the thread as your ring won’t close). This way, when the ring is closed, the stitches all look the same.

When choosing focal beads, remember that heavy metal beads will drag the bracelet. I prefer to use glass beads such as are used for lace spangling, or flatter glass beads, rather than round ones. I also use Thai Hill Tribe silver beads (the flatish round ones that have a raised thread channel) - these are really light and look great.

You can adjust the number of rings in your bracelet to suit your own wrist size, but don't make extra rings any larger than 32 double sticthes, they just don't look right!

Happy Tatting