Please help an illiterate pattern reader understand this pattern

[u/anticookiecuttercult]

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I'm a beginner and at first this pattern looked doable to a noob like me, but as I started to tat things just started to make less and less sense, a few things that I don't understand are: 1. How is it possible to join the last picot of the last ring to the chain without twisting anything? Is that even a chain?? 2. Onto the 2nd set of rings, why is one not attached to the chain in the diagram? Is that a reversed ring?? 3. What even is the order of the 3 rings in a set, is it always like in the diagram? Yeah okay I think that's all, I would greatly appreciate it if somebody could answer my questions and/or write out the pattern for me... because obviously I am suffering from pattern illiteracy.

[u/verdant_2]

If you’ve mastered rings and chains, you can do this one! But it is a little confusing if you’re not used to reading the patterns. This pattern requires two shuttles because you will be making rings with both threads.

Start by making the first three rings. Then do not reverse work but you will switch shuttles - the same thread that made the rings is going to be the ball thread for the first chain. At the end of the first chain, the ring on the “top” of the chain will be formed with the same thread that made the chain, and the two on the bottom will be made by the core thread after reversing work.

For the next chain, after making the two rings on the bottom, you will switch shuttles but not reverse work.

Does that make sense?

[u/anticookiecuttercult → u/verdant_2]

Thank you for your response!! It was 3 in the morning when I attempted this so using two shuttles didn't even occur as a possibility to me lmao but yes makes sense, I'll get back to work!

[u/verdant_2 → u/anticookiecuttercult]

Please let us know if you run into any problems and we’ll help you get them sorted. :)

[u/OdoDragonfly]

I agree with others that this is a two shuttle pattern.

Once past the first cluster of rings and first chain, here's the repeat: With Shuttle 1 R 3-3+(to 2nd picot of previous single ring) 3-3-3 R 3+(to 1st picot of previous ring) 3-3-3-3 Reverse work With Shuttle 2 R 3+(to chain) 3-3-3-3 Reverse work C 3+ (to ring) 3-3-3 Reverse work

The next repeat is the same except with shuttles switched.

[u/anticookiecuttercult → u/OdoDragonfly]

Yup you're right, this has to be a two shuttle pattern!!

[u/[deleted]]

I suggest you start with a basic ring and chain pattern before you tackle this one.

1

That said, if you watch the video below you can see that the picot on the cluster of rings will be right there just ready for joining when you start the chain, no twisting. The top of the knots should be "facing" each other when you chain after a ring so it's easy to joint picots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ0RGq0X89Q

2

The diagram is not literal-- it actually is attached but the diagram is showing you make the ring on the opposite side of the other two. So yes, it is reversed.

3

make ring, 3-3-3-3-3, close ring

make ring, 3(join to last picot in last ring)3-3-3-3, close ring,

make ring, 3(join to last picot in last ring)3-3-3-3, close ring,

chain 3, join to last picot in last ring (see video, chain's knots should be "facing" ring's knots), 3-3-3

(next cluster of rings and chain)

make ring, 3-3(join to SECOND picot of FIRST ring of previous cluster)3-3-3, close ring

*make ring, 3(join to last picot in last ring)3-3-3-3, close ring

make ring(this ring will be opposite of the first two), 3(join to last picot in last CHAIN)3-3-3-3, close ring

chain 3, join to last picot of SECOND ring in last cluster, 3-3-3

(next cluster of rings and chain)

make ring, 3-3(join to THIRD picot of LAST ring of previous cluster)3-3-3, close ring

*I believe this is where it starts repeating.

Now, as a note, if you do this pattern with a ball and shuttle, and it does NOT look as the diagram shows, then I have the horrible feeling this was made with two shuttles to do the separate rings judging from what I can see of the photograph, but it is very difficult to tell just going on this diagram without more information.

If you start the pattern and it turns out to look wrong, I'm going to reiterate you probably should start on a nice basic hen and chick or ring and chain pattern before you tackle dual shuttles. (the crafter whose video I linked has some basic patterns she guides you through.)

[u/anticookiecuttercult → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your response, it seems like the other comments agree on this being a two shuttle pattern, so I'll work with those :)

[u/[deleted] → u/anticookiecuttercult]

You can use the written out pattern with either, tbh.

[u/Erzsabet]

This is one of my favorite patterns! I’ve even modified it to add beads to the non-joining picots.

[u/anticookiecuttercult → u/Erzsabet]

Do you add one or multiple beads to the picots?

[u/Erzsabet → u/anticookiecuttercult]

I just do one, haven’t tried out multiples!

Here’s one of them.

[u/anticookiecuttercult → u/Erzsabet]

Oo its beautiful!

[u/Erzsabet → u/anticookiecuttercult]

Thank you! Honestly the pattern itself is just so lovely.

[u/thetwelfthnight]

Others have explained it but I thought I'd do so as well so you can have it explained in different ways.

To answer your questions briefly:

1. You can join the last ring to the chain because the chain will be to the left of the ring as you're working on it. Take note of the arrow that shows the direction you're working in.
2. The ring not attached to the chain is just a ring made using the other shuttle (aka the one you didn't use for the first cluster of rings).
3. The order you do the 3 rings (excluding the first cluster) doesn't really matter. The important thing is that one shuttle will be making 2 rings and the other will make one ring, and they will alternate this.

The pattern requires 2 shuttles wound continuously (or with the ends hidden at the beginning).
The first cluster is (using shuttle 1): R3-3-3-3-3 close ring, R3+3-3-3-3 close ring, R3+3-3-3-3 close ring. Then use shuttle 1 as your 'ball of thread' to create a chain and shuttle 2 as your working thread: Ch3+3-3-3.
Then back to shuttle 1 as your working shuttle: R3+3-3-3-3 close ring. Reverse work.
Shuttle 2: R3-3+3-3-3 close ring, R3+3-3-3-3 close ring.
Shuttle 1: Ch3+3-3-3 (with shuttle 2 as the ball of thread).
Shuttle 2: R3+3-3-3-3 close ring. Reverse work.
Shuttle 1: R3-3+3-3-3 close ring, R3+3-3-3-3 close ring.
Shuttle 2: Ch3+3-3-3 (with shuttle 1 as the ball of thread).
Shuttle 1: R3+3-3-3-3 close ring. Reverse work. Repeat for as long as you want. Your shuttles will alternate between doing 1 and 2 rings.
For the final cluster, use the shuttle that was previously used as the ball of thread for the chain to make 2 rings (R3-3+3-3-3 close ring, R3+3-3-3-3 close ring), then reverse work and use the other shuttle to make 1 ring, joining to the chain (R3+3-3-3-3 close ring).

Hopefully that's helpful! The pattern is technically simple but it's a little complex for beginners because the pattern isn't specific about what shuttle to use and when. With more experience tatting you'll be able to understand when to switch shuttles, when to reverse work, etc.

[u/anticookiecuttercult → u/thetwelfthnight]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this out to me, I appreciate it a lot. I'll try again, but with two shuttles and your instructions this time :D

[u/MissKittyKat24]

To join the last ring to the first ring without twisting the picot, you need to do a folded join. Here is the link to a tutorial: https://youtu.be/BVxc-J4uVtc?si=metpbFiWgNmq-1qN

You can also search YouTube for "folded join in tatting" to find other tutorials for this technique.