Wrapping a plastic ring with double-stitches

This is a simple tutorial on how to wrap up a plastic ring with double-stitches, like I did for this snowflake.

The snowflake is a remake of the Hearts snowflake which I had posted earlier, which you can get through this link. I made it again and added a plastic ring with a tiny motif in the centre. A few tatters have asked me to explain how I did it. I hope this tutorial helps.

I first make the tiny motif with 6 rings with a ds count of (5-5) each. I used size 20 thread for this, and the plastic ring measures 2cm diameter which is suitable with the ds count that I am working with. A different thread size and/or plastic ring may not work with this ds count. A paper clip is a handy tool to make picots.


Leave a length of about 4 inches before starting.  Holding the thread end and the ring together, so that it doesn't slip off, bring the thread up from under the ring and slide the shuttle through the loop of the thread. This makes the first half of the double-stitch, though it doesn't look like it yet. This is the same method used for making split chain.

Next, for the second half of the ds, bring the thread down under the ring and slide the shuttle through. Make sure that the loop does not twist when passing the shuttle through it. Pull the thread close and you will see that a double stitch is formed.

Next, to make a picot.

I find it easier to use a paperclip when making a picot because I find that my picots become smaller when I tighten to close the ds on the ring. Slide a paper clip onto the thread and make the ds following the steps explained above. When made, it looks like this with the paper clip on. The paper clip can be removed after a few more ds are made.

Now is the part where the tiny motif is attached to the centre of the plastic ring. The paper clip is used if there is a picot on the outside of the ring at the same position where the tiny ring is attached, as is the case in my snowflake above. If not, there is no need for the paper clip.





We are still using the same method of making the ds as above. But this time, for the first half of the ds, bring up the thread through the picot of the tiny ring - you'll need a crochet hook for this. Then slide the shuttle through the loop made.





And for the second half of the ds, bring down the thread, going through the same picot. Again, make sure that the loop of the thread is not twisted when sliding the shuttle through. Tighten the thread to close the ds.






A completely wrapped plastic ring with the motif in the centre looks like this. Leave a length of about 4 inches and cut off the thread. The thread ends can then be hidden in the ds of the plastic ring - the beginning thread end into the last few ds, and the ending thread end into the starting few ds.

A tip here - when you start, make the first ds somewhere in between the picots to make it easier for you to hide the ends. For example, if the ds count between picots is 5, start with 3 ds and finish with 2 ds, unless the design allows you to climb out of the ring with a split ring or split chain, then you can start where the picot is.

Now that you know how to add the tiny centre motif, try and design something of your own, like this, maybe? This was made in one pass (except for the tiny motif, of course) with shuttle only - even the long loop.