July 17 - Little Celtic Bee Marker by Ruth

Copyright 2005 Ruth Perry

This was inspired by a little tatted bee that I saw somewhere. I know that I have seen bees designed by the shuttle brothers, and by Karey Solomon, but I'm not sure where I saw the little one. This isn't my original idea, but these instructions are how I did it. The interwoven split rings are the same technique that I used to tat the Celtic Candy Cane a couple years ago.

It is useful at times to bee able to mark a place in lacemaking and tatting, and using a lobster clasp is a neat way to do just that. This has a lobster clasp on a jump ring. It is tatted with split rings woven as you tat, so it's an intermediate to advanced pattern. I do it with finger tatting using about a yard of black thread and a bit less of the yellow thread.

Begin at the clasp end, or bee butt [ Ring with a picot for a stinger ]

Black Ring ( 6 - 6 )

Yellow Ring ( 12) This is tatted with the threads wrapped through the black ring [see diagram]

Black Split Ring with wings is tatted with the threads wrapped through the yellow ring.

SR ( 3 LP 2 LP 3 / 8 )

Yellow Split Ring is tatted with the threads wrapped through the previous black ring.

SR ( 6 / 6 )

Black Split Ring for the head isn't wrapped, but the yellow threads are carried through as part of the core of the ring.

SR ( 6 - 1 - 1 / 4 )

Antennae

Chain 5 with each yellow thread as the core, and each black thread end as the ball thread.

Tie the ends of one antenna in an overhand knot and cut close to the knot. Repeat witht the threads for the other antenna. A drop of fray check, or glue will help keep the end of the antennae neat. Add a jump ring with a lobster clasp on it to the bee butt ring.