AOSJ for adding beads in split ring

Vintage patterns have always something to teach. I learned this join when tatting a pattern from 1923!

I love playing with techniques, just like in a jigsaw puzzle where pieces are all mixed up till someone puts one next to another and they perfectly match. Plus, there are many ways to do the same thing, we are spoiled for choice! 

This time I'd like sharing one more way to put a bead in a split ring, I adjusted the method that I explained here: Anne Orr's Slip Join (AOSJ) – pics 43 & 44

 

bracelets with beads put inside split rings with the AOSJ

Look at next pictures, follow the sequence of steps from left to right and up to down. Split rings are 10ds on both sides (red and yellow thread), that is: 10ds on the normal stitch side, then 10ds on the reversed stitch side.

I started the split ring. Then the side with normal stitches temporarily stops at the middle point (I tatted 5ds) and I tatted half of the second side (5rs, reverse order). 

At this point I added the bead, in this way: on the second side of the split ring, make the second half stitch unflipped (first pic on the upper left), pick a bead and put it on the loop formed by the leg of that half stitch.

(That is very similar to what I shared for normal rings in one drawing here: https://flic.kr/p/mTMZeB , but in that case the loop is joined to the core thread in a different way)

Then, I passed the core shuttle thread through the loop pulled from the bead, then I continued with the rest of the first side of the split ring. In that way the shuttle’s thread is trapped into the loop coming from the bead, but it is still free to slide.

Then look at the upper right picture of previous collage: pulling (not too tight) the second shuttle thread (yellow), the loop inside the bead disappears and you see from the other 2 pictures that I resumed the second side of the split ring and tatted the remaining stitches. 

Close the split ring and that's all.

I added one bead, but with the same method you can add many beads as you like, for example in the next pic I added 3 little beads. Of course, the stitch count in the split ring should be right to fit the size of the bead or the number of little beads you choose.

There isn't any difference between front and back: 

I hope that you like the AOSJ and I think that it has a lot of potential, still to be discovered.

Update (July 2025) - link to video: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aKqdDaRuX1Go188HR2gC2xU5LHCToOS3/view?usp=drivesdk

Ciao,

Ninetta 

square medallion In leaf design

Anne Orr's pattern. It is from J&P Coats Crochet, Cross Stitch & Tatting Book #14, 1923. Courtesy by Georgia Seitz, this publication is available here: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30942.asp.

Tatting is at pages 7 and 8.

(UPDATE: links in Georgia Seitz's site: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/bella/anneorrbook14notes.html)

Note that the term “split ring” is never mentioned, the author indicates to tat a ring, then there is the “R st” that is “take work off from hand (reverse) turn over, put work on hand”... then, with the shuttle number 2, make the other side of the ring with the reverse stitches, that are not flipped.

I ONLY CHANGED HOW THE STEM IS DONE. Where original instructions say “...with a crochet needle, make five stitches around the three threads for stem...”, I substituted crochet stitches with Priscilla’s knot stiches, it works very well and – anyway – the technique is coeval (1924). The technique is in Priscilla#3, page 15, Diag.1-6.

I tatted it using DMC Special Dentelles size 80 cotton thread, then my graduated picots for the leaf are from 1/8” to 5/8”, gauge used horizontally (so height of  picots is half the size of the gauge).

Legenda: (added by me, but it is the same as in others Anne Orr’s publications)
ds = double stitch
p = picot
cl. = close
Con. R = connecting ring
 lr = Lr = large ring
 sr = small ring
R st. = reverse stitches, then the number of reverse stiches follow (second side of the split ring, as it is called now)

--------- ORIGINAL PATTERN: ---------- DIRECTIONS FOR SQUARE MEDALLION IN LEAF DESIGN.

MATERIAL - Coats Mercerized Crochet No. 10. Two Shuttles.
The different parts of this pattern are designated as Center Medallion (C. M.) Stem, Leaf and Large and Small Connecting Ring. (Con R.)
Measure of ten yards of thread, wind on Shuttle No.1. Do not break thread. Measure off ten yards more, wind on Shuttle No. 2.

CENTER MEDALLION  CENTER RING - 2 ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, cl. Tie threads to take fourth picot. Do not cut threads.

Begin large ring, shuttle No. 1: 5ds, p, 5ds, p, 5 ds, take work from hand.
*Shuttle No. 2.

SMALL INNER RING - Space one eighth inch, 4ds, pass shuttle No. 1 under thread on hand to make joining, p, 4ds, cl. Space one eighth inch. Join thread to center ring. R st, shuttle No. 2, 5ds. Complete ring with shuttle No. 1, p, 5ds, p, 5ds, in ordinary st. cl.  *Second l r, 5 ds, p, 5ds, R st. 5ds, join thread of shuttle to center ring.

Small inner ring like first, join thread to same picot of center ring. Complete ring like first, as indicated by *s.
Third Lr like second.
Fourth Lr like second, except after joining to center ring, complete ring in R st, 5ds, join to picot of first L r, 5ds, p, 5ds, cl. Tie thread. Ch 5ds, join thread to last p. of Lr.

STEM – Ch 5ds, space three eights inch.

LEAF – Center ring of Leaf. Shuttle No. 1, 3ds, five picots, separated by 2ds, graduating from one fourth to three fourths inches. 1ds, 5 picots, three fourths to one fourth inches, separated by 2ds, 3ds, cl. Ch 3ds, p, ch 3ds, sr, 2ds, join to last p of center ring, 1ds, p, 1ds, cl. Ch 3ds, p, 3ds, sr, 1ds, join to last r, 1ds, join to next p of center ring. Twist p, before joining, 1ds, p, 1ds, cl.
Continue until there are 5 chains and five rings, twisting picots once twice or three times, according to length from right to left on one side of leaf, and from left to right on other side. Ch 6ds, p, 6ds, for point of leaf. Continue on other side, making five rings and five chains.
Make large Con. R. in place of picot in second last chain with shuttle No. 2. (Lr. Con. R, 5ds, p, 5ds, p, 5ds, p, 5ds, cl.)
Tie threads to center ring, with a crochet needle, make five stitches around the three threads for stem, and tie.  Continue stem, chain 5ds, join thread to first picot of next lr of center medallion. Ch 5ds, join to next p of center medallion with shuttle No. 2 sr, 4ds, join to last p of Con. R, 4ds, cl.
SECOND CON R - 4ds, p, 4ds, cl. Ch 5ds, join to next p of  L r. Make three more like first leaf, but in place of picot in second chain, make Large Con.R. Join to second small Con.R. and to Large Con. R, on first leaf. Begin last small Con.R with shuttle No. 2, 4ds, R st, shuttle No. 1, 4ds, cl.
LARGE CON. RING - 5ds, join to picot of second ch of first leaf, 5ds, p, 5ds, R st, 5ds, cl.. Tie threads.

---------- END ORIGINAL PATTERN ----------

I uploaded a diagram in Flickr. Here's the link: https://flic.kr/p/2iF7KhX
(UPDATE: Please, see also https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2020/05/mock-and-split-but-still-genuine.html)

Ciao,
Ninetta

UPDATE:
Aurora Lozada found another way to tat the centre:
 https://tathelper.blogspot.com/2020/04/an-onion-ring-challenge-i-havent-tatted.html)

not without a hitch

The adventure with the large doily finished, I enjoyed tatting it even if I had hitches in the process: bits of thread not twisted, oversights, ...

... and what a bitter pill to swallow that the last two rings of the very last wheel needed some more thread than that on the shuttle!

The adventure started in middle January: http://ninettacaruso.blogspot.it/2015/01/tatting-with-anne.html

Then, when I reached the wheels' round, I found that I had wrongly read the pattern, but I went on, considering that would not a big fault, anyway: http://ninettacaruso.blogspot.it/2015/02/even-larger.html

After a month later I suspended it because I run out the multicoloured thread. I had to wait till October, when Fox rescued me with a new fresh ball (http://ninettacaruso.blogspot.it/2015/10/bond-over-thread.html) and I still have some left over for another little project.

Diameter is 30.5 cm.

It already found a new home, my mum loves it!

Ciao,
Ninetta

vintage front side tatting?

I think so... It's nice joining all wheels the same side facing, least that I'm not distracted!

Ciao,
Ninetta

focus on it

There's only 9 wheels to reach the end of that doily, I can only tat one of them each day so I'm confident to finish by a couple of weeks... If I won't make silly mistakes, like forgetting a join. I'll recover it using the old way of tatting!

Tatting with the new ball of Lizbeth it is a pleasure, thread is finally collaborating and doesn't break every 5 rings, as the last part of previous ball did.

Actually, I admit, I'm not focused on it. I've started some test tatting for Christmas and - a big big fault - I bought a beautiful bobbin lace's magazine. I hardly can make something from it, but a lovely edging for a hanky. You can get a glimpse of it in the upper side of the photo. That would rather be another candidate for the long list of UFOs...

On evenings, after dinner, while watching tv, I'm in part tatting wheels, in part test tatting my doodles and in part making the filét lace. Something will be finished, if I ever could focus on one thing at a time!

The needle used to make the net is called "mòdano" in Italian. Don't look too close to my net, please, it's absolutely misshapen!

Ciao,
Ninetta

bond over a thread

The Ann Orr's large doily restarted, thanks to Fox that sent me a second ball of Lizbeth col.131. I bet she loves this multicoloured thread, too. (She also sent a hanky, white and delicate, I love it! Thank you!)

She had sent last year the first ball, it's a mix of colours that I really love, but I must agree with her about the quality. The last shuttle loaded from the ball went on breaking at points where the hue changes. Nevertheless, practise adding a new thread is good, isn't it?
Another shuttle has been already loaded for a fresh start.

In evident state of euphoria and trying to catch up the pattern, I wrongly connected two rings on the same side, so that I had 13 repetitions instead of 12. Scissors came. Yes, sigh, they do sometimes!

Ciao,
Ninetta

non-sense

Starting the last round without that thread in a proper reserve, it shows a complete lack of foresight.

After all I'm short-sighted.

Ciao,
Ninetta

even larger

The so famous large centerpiece is going to be even larger. I didn't read carefully instructions for the 2nd row, where I must have left 3 rings out. The result is that now I will have 18 motifs to tat all around instead of 15. Well, I can live with it!

I'm quite puzzled about colours: I'm uncertain if that "dark antique mauve" is a good choice.

Better have a break! I've come back to the design of the bookmark...

On Saturday we went to the shopping center Euroma2, in Rome, I took some photos for you. Chandeliers are bigger than my kitchen!

Ciao,
Ninetta

fast forward

I had a dizzy spell when I run around so quickly.

Ten rounds done, now I'm on 15 motifs. 15? Yes, they are. That is the first time for me, I've never started something with 18 repetitions and then finished it with 15!

Crazy tatting!

Ciao,
Ninetta

ring after ring

Ciao,
Ninetta

measured beauty

Only few words today. I've had a fever for two days and what a better occasion for using a new English word just learned this month: I feel "lousy"!

I took some photos to show the gauge I've used between rings. It's very difficult to keep the distance by sight, so even I rarely use a gauge, that's one of those situations.

1/4"

1/8"

1/8"

Ciao
Ninetta

tatting with Anne

... Orr. Yes, Bernice was the first that guessed right, I'm tatting the so called "large centerpiece" that is on the cover of a Dover pubblication (1989). How large I can't wait to see, slowly emerging from the coloured thread dmc size 80...

The pattern calls for a size 40 thread and it's only written instructions.

If you like reading about the history of Anne Orr, there's a page in the site: "The ShuttleSmith Tatting" (by Karen Bovard).
Among a lot of great tatting resources, you can find there the history of the split ring technique and you discover that originated in a tatting booklet published in 1918 by Anne Orr.

https://sites.google.com/site/theshuttlesmithinomaha/

Ciao,
Ninetta

UPDATE: Article at Bella Online: "The Split Ring in 1901??"

easy quiz

I'm tatting a very famous old doily, the designer is ...? Well, I know who she is, the doily is from a book I've in front of me, but what about you? How much are you perceptive?

A clue is that's very easy to guess right!

The photo was edited to add the watermark, then edited again with an android app called "pixlr-o-matic" to add the vintage effect. That's all done with the smartphone! Impressive!

Talking about apps, I found another intriguing one that's called "kaleidoscope lime". It could be interesting to try out in this doily one of the random palettes.

Technology is impressive indeed. I've been reading about security and pics. Have you heard about the "fingerprint passwords"? Very cool and easy. But someone discovered how to hack those pws with only a photo of a finger. And tatters have so many pics of their fingers!!! An headache about photos, but not even our fingerprints are completely secure!

Anyway, back to the old doily: the book is still under copyright, so I won't put the pattern here. There's no need of password for that, only good sense.

Ciao,
Ninetta

slackening

One bookmark per month is too little, but I know how to shorten my stride. First, I'm tatting the bookmark again, to change something. I had simply added mock rings in the middle as I went on but I don't like the result. So I started again with a line of split rings and then climbed to tat around. I've not yet finished. Maybe I would tat one more but in different colours.

Between a split ring and another, I thought I had to add something else. A doily? Why not? A traditional, large doily. Actually I have ever had one in my wish-list, one that really asks you to slow down and concentrate on, in its eighties (or more) this year. So, here is the start of the fuddy-duddy. Who wants to guess?

Dmc thread, size 80.

Ciao,
Ninetta