Split chain doily completed

And here is the split chain doily completed. My designing hat must have been really tall as this pattern just rolled off my shuttle.....no retro-tatting needed at all!

Being able to do split chains makes such a difference to the amount of cutting and tying needed between rows. With this design, using split chains and split rings to climb out of rows, I only had to cut and tie after row 8 and the last row, doing away with masses of ends to sew in!

Split chain doily

When I did the little motif to demonstrate my method of doing a split chain it seemed a shame to waste it.....and so I just carried on. I used a thick thread for the demo and I don't normally use such a thick thread for doilies, but I thought, "what the heck" and this is the result so far. I have no idea what I shall do with it when it is finished, probably give it away, as usual, LOL!!!

Split Chain - step by step instructions

Tat the first part of the chain in the normal way, to the point where you want the two shuttle threads to meet. Join the core thread to the base of the first ring with a lock join and leave enough thread to work the 5 stitches needed to complete the chain, back towards the last chain stitch worked. Always leave a little less thread, as this will stretch as you work the backward stitches.

 Using the core thread shuttle, pull a loop of thread, from the back, to the front, taking great care not to twist the loop. Thread the shuttle through the loop from the back to the front.

 Gently pull the shuttle thread until the loop is much smaller and then push the loop under the chain towards the back.

 Pull the loop at the back, gently reducing the thread and you will see the first half of the stitch taking shape.

 Draw all the way until the first half of the stitch is tightly into position, taking great care not to twist the new loop that is forming.

 Thread the shuttle, from the front to the back, through this new loop. This forms the second half of the stitch, therefore draw up the excess thread until the second half sits snuggly against the first half.

 First double stitch completed.