Block Tatted Rainbow

 

Block Tatted Rainbow 

Working in Ends with 2 Shuttles

©2008, 2020 Martha Ess

 

Lots of colors mean lots of ends to work in.  Here is a method using 2 shuttles for a fast way to add colors and work in ends.  I learned this from the dearly departed Terry McGuffin.

 

Rainbow

Materials: 3 shuttles, Aero/Aerlit or other round bobbin style recommended, (you may wish to have extra bobbins wound).  Thread in 5 rainbow colors: purple/lavender, blue, green, yellow, red/pink.  For best effect, choose all brights or all pastels.   Paperclip or coil-less safty pin

 

Begin with 2 shuttles wound CTM with purple/lavender.  Have another shuttle wound with blue standing by.  As you finish a color, you may use that shuttle to wind on the next color, or you may like to have an additional bobbin of green, yellow, and red/pink standing by.

 

Row 1: Hang a paperclip or safety pin on the thread between shuttles to hold open the beginning vsp

Ch:      vsp 6, [vsp 4] 8 times, vsp 1, then pick up the blue shuttle and hold it together with the purple shuttle in your working hand, and add the end of the blue thread into the pinch of your other hand where you are holding the stitches.  Holding the shuttles together, work 5 more ds. By holding the 2 shuttles together, the new thread end is encapsulated as you go. With the purple shuttle only, pull gently to adjust the tension to a gentle curve. Turn, SLT

 

Row 2: Adjust the shuttles so that the blue thread is wound around your hand as the ball thread.  Hold both purple shuttles together in your working hand and work Ch: vsp 6 ds, so both threads form the core.  (This works best with round bobbin style shuttles so you can make fine adjustments to the length of thread between the shuttles and stitches.) Cut off one of the purple shuttles. +LJ to the vsp of Row 1. Continue the chain: [4 +LJ (to next vsp)] 8 times.  Add a shuttle with green thread. As before, hold 2 shuttles in your working hand and work with 2 threads (purple and green) forming the core. Work 6 ds.  With the purple shuttle only, +LJ to the beginning vsp of Row 1.  Turn, SLT

 

Row 3:  Adjust the shuttles so that the green thread is wound around your hand as the ball thread. Hold the purple and blue shuttles together in your working hand and work Ch: vsp 6 ds.  Cut off the purple shuttle and +LJ to the LJ of the row below. Continue the chain: 4 +LJ (to LJ), [5 +LJ (to LJ)] 6 times, 4 +LJ (to LJ).  Add a shuttle with yellow thread. As before, hold 2 shuttles in your working hand and work with 2 threads (blue and yellow) forming the core. Work 6 ds.  With the blue shuttle only, +LJ to the beginning vsp of Row 2.  Turn, SLT

 

Row 4:  Adjust the shuttles so that the yellow thread is wound around your hand as the ball thread. Hold the blue and green shuttles together in your working hand and work Ch: vsp 6 ds.  Cut off the blue shuttle and +LJ to the LJ of the row below. Continue the chain: 4 +LJ (to LJ) [5 +LJ (to LJ)] 6 times, 4 +LJ (to LJ).  Add a shuttle with red/pink thread. As before, hold 2 shuttles in your working hand and work with 2 threads (green and red/pink) forming the core. Work 6 ds.  With the green shuttle only, +LJ to the beginning vsp of Row 3.  Turn, SLT

 

Row 5:  Adjust the shuttles so that the red/pink thread is wound around your hand as the ball thread. Hold the green and yellow shuttles together in your working hand and work Ch: 6 ds.  Cut off the green shuttle and +LJ to the LJ of the row below. Continue the chain: 4 +LJ (to LJ), [6 +LJ (to LJ)] 6 times, 4 +LJ (to LJ), 6 +LJ (to beginning vsp of Row 4). Cut and tie. (If you like the Magic thread method for working in ends, add that during the final 6 ds.)

 

Here is the basic pattern without the commentary:

Row 1:   Ch:   vsp 6, [vsp 4] 8 times, vsp 6. Turn SLT

Row 2:    Ch:   vsp 6 +LJ (to vsp of Row 1), [4 +LJ (to next vsp of Row 1)] 8 times, 6 +LJ (to beginning vsp of Row 1) Turn SLT

Row 3:    Ch:   vsp 6 +LJ (to LJ of row below), 4 +LJ (to next LJ), [5 +LJ (to next LJ)] 6 times, 4 +LJ (to next LJ), 6 +LJ (to beginning vsp of row below) Turn SLT

Row 4:    Repeat Row 3

Row 5:    Ch:  6 +LJ (to LJ of row below), 4 +LJ (to next LJ), [6 +LJ (to next LJ)] 6 times, 4 +LJ (to next LJ), 6 +LJ (to beginning vsp of row below) Cut and tie.