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Marie's 'Fast and Easy' Split Chain © Marie Smith 2007

 

Below are the instructions that Marie Smith in South Carolina has devised to make a split chain in a faster and easier way.  Mark (Tatman) Myers has also done some drawings on this technique here.  Please visit his site too.
The lighter colour shows when you have the back of the work facing you.


Work the chain to a picot (in reverse tatting, second half, then first half), leaving a bare thread space (BTS) equal to the number of ds needed to finish chain and join to the place where the chain will end with a lock join.  (At this point the back of the work will be facing you) - see fig. 1

 

 

 

Turn work as if turning a page so that the front is facing and the lock join is on your left.  Hold the piece with the lock join between index and thumb of left hand - see fig. 2

 

Next loop shuttle thread over middle finger of left hand, bringing this same thread behind the bare thread space (BTS).

With shuttle, pick up the shuttle thread under the BTS. Pass the shuttle all the way through, but do not snug up too tightly - see fig. 3.

 

Now lift the left hand, middle finger to make the half-stitch (just formed) pop up on the other side of the BTS.
You will now see the waist of the ds at the back - see fig. 4.

 

With the shuttle point, lift the waist; and while passing the shuttle on through snug the left side of the ds.  Pull the shuttle all the way through to tighten the right side.  This will make the finished ds face you - see fig. 5.

 

For further help please email Marie Smith.