Half-Closed Tatted Ring
A Study of the Half-Closed Tatted Ring
There is no mystery in making the half-closed tatted ring. As seen here, just draw the ring closed slowly and stop; leave the required length of bare thread showing. The directions will usually tell you the length needed. The important part is that the length of bare thread showing in the half-closed ring is measured the same for each ring. Without the accurate measurement, it will just look like a mistake.
To assure accuracy you can use the picot gauge to measure the thread: https://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1890.asp
The mystery of the half-closed ring lies in the fact that we use it so seldom these days. It can be the foundation for many patterns, as shown by these public domain vintage patterns from the "DMC Book of Tatting" by Thérèse de Dillmont. This book is available as a free download. See link on page: https://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35090.asp
Compare the tatting in fig. 13, a line of rings half closed with no space between rings.
(R 10 half close. Leave no space and continue. Unjoined.) with the tatting in fig. 14, a line of completely closed rings with bare thread left between rings. (R 12 close ring leave space and repeat. Unjoined.
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Next compare fig. 15, a line of half-closed joined rings with no decorative picots, only joining picots,(R 3 + 6 - 3 half close ring leave no space.) with fig. 17, a line of half-closed joined rings with several decorative picots (R 3 + 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 half close ring leave no space.)
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It is easy to confuse the half-closed ring with chains in old vintage photos. Look closely above. The first row is the half-closed rings. The second row is a line of chains which shuttle lock join to the joining picot between the half-closed rings. We can confirm it is a line of chains because of the floating rings on every other chain which requires 2 shuttles to tat.
*Row 1 R 4 - 6 - 4 half close, leave no space and repeat.
Row 2 CH 3 - 1 - 1 - 3 shuttle lock join (slj) over the joining picot of row 1.
CH 3,(do not reverse work) using SH2 throw off a floating ring,
R 4 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 4 close ring completely, (do not reverse work) and continue chain,
CH 3 shuttle lock join (slj) over the next joining picot of row 1 and repeat.
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Here the first row has half-closed rings which are tatted in two sizes. These rings are both half closed and have a space of bare thread between them.
Row 1 R 5 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 5 half close ring and leave bare thread space.
R 8 half close ring and leave bare thread space. Repeat to length desired.
Row 2 The thread attaches to a free picot of the larger size half-closed ring.
*CH 2 - 2 - 4 (do not reverse work), using SH2 throw off a floating ring,
R 5 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 5 close ring completely, (do not reverse work) continue chain,
CH 4 + (slj) to picot of same large ring, continue to chain
CH 4 (do not reverse work), using SH2 throw off a floating ring,
R 5 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 5 close ring completely, (do not reverse work) continue chain,
CH 4 + (slj) to picot of next large ring, continue to chain from * and repeat.
You Should Also Read:
How to open a closed ring
How to use a picot gauge
Vintage tatting patterns
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