Baby Blanket

I have a friend who just had a baby.  I had hoped that I'd finish before she had her son.  I want to add a couple of things to a baby blanket.  I'm not sure I've found the right blanket, anyway.  The one I found is a fleece blanket, but not cotton or wool....everything seems to be made of plastic these days.  At any rate, I made the rocking horse from Tatting Treats Two by Pam Palmer.  I am also making the frog from the same book.  I'm getting the job done, but I had a hard time with the directions.  On the part B- the eye and inner back, the directions say to go and "bring the ball thread through and joining with shuttle thread as usual, then complete join with 2nd half of ds as a lock stitch." (Pam Palmer)  I don't know what that means.  I had to do the ring right below the eye by doing a split ring, then make the others as ring, then chain which I join to the picot at the far end of the ring.  I think I'm past the problem part, but if anyone knows how to help me understand and do that ring without a split ring, please let me know!