Pointed Chain

I have read all your comments to my previous post, where I first wrote about the subject.  At that time I didn't have a name for it.  I wasn't sure if it made any difference or if it is worth pursuing.  However, encouraged by your comments I looked at it further, and for discussion purposes I am calling this a pointed chain.

I made another sample motif again with three different version of chains joining the rings,

The first chain is a regular chain and the second is the pointed chain.  The third chain is made with lock stitch at the top, as per Miranda's comment (copied below)

Miranda said...

Oh yes, I can see the difference. It's like a Gothic arch. I sometimes achieve this look by doing a lock stitch at the top of the curve. Is that what you did? 

I can see differences in the three chains by the different methods.   The regular chain is rounded and the pointed chain has a point, of course.  The lock stitch method also creates a point but the curve is not smooth where there is a slight jump before and after the lock stitch is made. (The fifth chain is also with a lock stitch and you can see the jump better in it)

Here is my explanation of how I put in the point in the pointed chain. The basis of it is to add extra thread width in the caps of the double stitches.  This is the opposite of adding extra thread width to the legs, as in the double double stitch, to straighten the curve of the chain.

You can add the extra thread width in any stitch of the chain, either the first half-stitch or the second half-stitch, but the second step must follow immediately in the next half stitch.  In my example here I started at the second half-stitch of one double stitch, followed by the first half-stitch of the next ds.

Make the second half-stitch as normal but do not tighten the half-stitch

Bring the upper shuttle thread (or ball thread) through the loop ..

.... resulting in a knot made with the upper thread over the core thread (lower shuttle thread

Tighten the upper thread slowly and slide it very close to the previous half-stitch. Be careful not to allow the knot to tighten before you position it.

Close up of the second half-stitch with extra thread width in the cap of the ds.

Next, to add a second thread width to the next half stitch make the stitch as normal but do not tighten.

As before, slide the upper shuttle thread (ball thread) through the loop .....

... and form a knot.  Slide the knot to the previous half-stitch slowly, as shown earlier. to tighten the knot and finish with the second half-stitch.

A close-up showing the extra thread width in the upper part of the chain.

I hope you can see the extra thread width added to the upper part of the chain even with the picture being blurry due to it being highly enlarged.