Christmas Necklace

      This is my most recent necklace.  I am making them a little differently than I did last time I logged on.  It is a split ring pattern with a little twist.  My split rings are always larger from one hand than the other.  I had to scan the front and the back of the necklace to show what happens.  The first picture is the front and the 2ND picture is the back, which isn't seen when it is worn.  When I join each ring to the picot of the previous ring I dont pull it tight.  I leave some space, about the size of the bead that is sitting at the join.  What this does is pop the first half of each ring's beads up higher than the lower half's beads and prevent the posibility of twisting when it is worn.  You won't see both beads at the back of the necklace, just the beads for the bottom half.  The top half beads are covered by the join.  It looks a little sloppy while it is being worked, but cleans up when the ring is closed.  The top or inner side of the necklace is the first tatted and the bottom, or outer side is the 'split' part of the ring.  I don't really know how to write the pattern, but I'll try.  I get approximately 30 rings in approximately 17 inches, so I string the beads of the top half and then the beads of the bottom half so that, in this instance, there are 29 bead placements and 30 rings- 11-7-11 for the top and for the bottom.  This centers the beads I want in the front.  This pattern also has the top beads raised higher than the bottom beads because I connect each ring to the previous ring to prevent the possibility of twisting the rows such that it doesn't lay the way I planned.  SR 9 ds, p, 1 ds/ 10 ds close.  Bring up the first bead for the top half, 1 ds, join to p of previous ring, 9 ds, p, 1 ds/ bring up bead for lower half, 10 ds, close.  Bring up 2ND bead for the top half, 1 ds, join to p of previous ring, 9 ds, p, 1 ds/ bring up 2ND bead of lower half, 10 ds, close.....continue to length you want.  With the last ring, bring up the bead for the top half, 1 ds, join to previous ring, 10 ds/ bring up bead for lower half, 10 ds, close.  Tie and hide ends.  Once it is finished, I twist it a bit at each ring segment to shape it and it is done!  I hope this all makes sense.  It's a strange 'twist' on the split ring that if someone else has done it before, I haven't seen it and I like it this way for the necklaces.   

I've been off-line a lot lately because I've spent the last couple of months trying to prepare for Christmas.  I haven't even emailed anyone or instant messaged anyone, but Christmas will soon be here and then, "I'll be back!" 

Oh, I have to re-purchase somewhere the Big Book of Tatting that has the small butterfly pattern I like so much.  I've bought it twice before, but I think my invisible dog keeps eating it!  (hee hee hee)

Gosh, I've been off-line so long that I've forgotten what channel I usually post in!