I am making a doily <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> in which the third/last round is made up of little medallions. The instructions for the center of the medallion is 2ds, 8 p sep by 2ds, 1ds, cr, tie off. The outer part is made up of rings and chains. I keep reading in other patterns about "climbing out" of a round. Is this a situation where I can do 3ds, 7p sep by 2ds, 3ds then do a split ring to "climb out"? (I'm not even sure I'm using this terminology correctly.) I guess I'm getting "sassy" and am trying to avoid tying knots. Hehe! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes that's exactly it - you can use a split ring to climb out but watch where the split ring lands - if the ring on the next round is on top of a chain, you will need to do a split chain first - they're not really that hard to do, there's a good lesson here - [url=BellaOnline ALERT: For anti-spam reasons, we restrict the number of URLs allowed in a given post. You have exceeded our maximum number of URLs.

Hi Gillian, I have the split rings down really good but I am having a problem with the split chains. I can do them but I keep on forgetting which side to start(dropping the thread in the front or the back first) is there an easy way to remember this ? Usually I will get to the split chain, start making my knots will get halfway there and discover that the back part of my split chain should be on the front (does that make sense) ? So I undo it and then reverse the way I started, there just has to be an easier way than my hit and miss method. Since I don't tat alot I make notes to help me remember things.

Hi Eva,

With split chains I don't think there is an easy way, I found I had to practise them and still like to have diagrams at hand just in case.

You might like to get Judi Banashek's book "Impeccable Tatting" as it has good clear diagrams for doing them - also Donna Edwards Advanced Fancy Pants is one I really like. Something appears to have happened to Georgia Seitz's site this morning and I'll have to find out about it - pity because she has some excellent split chain instructions. In the meantime you might find these Snowgoose instructions helpful:-

http://www.snowgoose.cc/friv/split_chain.htm

I have Judi's books, Now why didn't I think of that ????? I tell you sometimes I wonder about myself, Thanks.

LOL no problem Eva! Glad I could help you:-).

I found out what happened to Georgia's site, she's working on it at the moment and things may be up and down for a while so we just have to be patient.

renaissancewoo, The abbreviation for climbing out of a central ring is COOR. It is a process which saves your having to 'tie and cut' and dispose of your ends. You can do this by a mock picot into a split ring or an ordinary chain. If you climb out into a chain, you'll need to make a lock stitch so that the tension is locked, preventing stitches sliding along the core thread.

Here is an excellent practice piece for learning the basics of climbing out in tatting:
http
://www.georgiaseitz.com
/av3/valeiresquare.html

The split chain is also an excellent way to climb out from the center of a lace piece or from row to row.
Split chain basics