Chinese Coin Bookmark
I call this the Chinese Coin bookmark because the shape of the individual repeat is like an ancient Chinese coin. Click here to find out about the different type of Chinese coins that were once used in China.I find this design interesting because it can be made in two ways. You can either make individual motif and join them up, or in one pass. It can be a very colourful piece if the individual motifs are made in different colours.
This pattern requires knowledge of how to make split rings. The split rings are marked in colours green and red/purple in the chart. The green split rings and balanced, i.e. the stitch counts are equal on both sides. The split rings in red/purple are asymetrical, i.e inequal number of stitch counts on the flip and unflipped sides.
Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the pattern.
As much as I love this pattern, I find I'm running in to an undesirable effect (I'm sure I'm doing something wrong!)
ReplyDeleteThe effect is: it "cups" after each coin is complete. I am tatting it in one pass.
Am I making my picots too small? My spaces between SRs too close together?
I looked at the photo of yours in detail, and I think mine looks pretty similar.
Ack!!
I hope you can help!! If you need to see photo, just let me know and I'll get one to you later today/tonight.
Thanks so much in advance!!
Lily,
ReplyDeleteTry making the joining picots in the chain slightly longer that usual. I think that should fix it.
Good Luck with the next try.
Jon,
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I passed this gem over when it was first released. It is a veritable poem of simplicity (rings of 16, chains of 8) and grace (2 rings, 1 chain is a pleasant rhythm). In fact, the pattern is downright addictive! I may end up making a whole bunch of them, and perhaps a doily too! Belated thanks for another wonderful addition to the tatting library.
Is there a page with a stitch key that I am missing somewhere? I understand the numbers between lines as the dbl stitches and picots, but I don't understand what the different colours represent. I started at the "start here" on the single motif and got 2 rings and the chain between them and cannot figure out where to go from there. Help please.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing this out.
DeleteI have updated the post to include additional information to clear this up.
For your information, this pattern uses split rings, which are marked in green and red/purple in the chart.
So if I start with the yellow ring, close the ring, RW chain, RW work next ring attaching to start ring. Then how do I come out of that second ring to make the 3rd? I tried to attach a pic diagram, but this is a text only blog. I'm sorry, this pattern just has me really confused the way there are 2 chains but they don't seem to connect the rings in the standard way?
ReplyDeleteAfter the 2nd ring, you make the 3rd ring close to the 2nd ring without any chain between these two rings. make the 2nd chain after the third ring, and you will reach the 4th ring. This 4th ring is a split ring, followed by another another split ring, which is the 5th ring.
DeleteThe 5th ring is of similar position as the 1st ring that you started with
I hope this helps you to proceed.
Okay, I have a single medallion made and it looks good. However, before I start the 3 foot string of them I have planned... I have a question. You say "The split rings in red/purple are asymetrical, i.e inequal number of stitch counts on the flip and unflipped sides" But looking at the pattern all split rings show the same count? Could you please clarify the stitch count on each side of the split rings in the red/purple. And Thank You SO much for all your patience with me.
DeleteIf you are doing the motifs singly then the split rings all have equal counts. After the first one, make the second one and join at the split rings.
DeleteThe splits rings with unequal stitch counts (red/purple) are if you are making this as a continuous piece. That is, you make one side of the dotted line that I have shown in the longer chart, turn at end when you have reached the length needed and finish the other side. The unequal split rings (red/purple) are at the point where you go to the next repeat of the motif.