The Crafts and Lace Site

Celtic Necklace

© Gillian Buchanan 2001

I had originally intended just to put this up as eye candy but so many people have e-mailed in asking for the pattern in the poll that was carried out that I have decided to put it up. I hope you all enjoy making it. The necklace won first prize in a competition entitled "something colourful to wear" at the Surrey Tatters Garden Party in July 2001.

MATERIALS

• Altin Basak No. 50 thread in White, Red and Blue (1 ball of each)
  
• Gold seed beads (I used Mill Hill)
  
• 2 pairs of tatting shuttles
  
• Measuring gauge 5/16 inch wide (but you may need to adjust this measurement depending on the size of your beads)
  
• Press Fastener
  NOTE: due to the size of hole in the Press Fastener the hook needs to be very fine - no larger than 0.60 mm.

SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS

• JP = Joining Picot. This is the picot to which chains are joined on the second round. It should be only just big enough to get your crochet hook through for joining.
  
• MP = Measured Picot (over which the beads are slipped). The gauge is held flat between the two threads, measuring the distance between two double stitches.
  
• All other picots are of normal length as they are not joined.

NOTE:
The second shuttle has no function other than to hold the thread. It is used in exactly the same way as you would use a ball thread.

1. Wind 2 shuttles with white thread. Mark them Pair 1 and Pair 2 .
   
2. Wind 1 shuttle with red thread. Mark this Pair 1 .
   
3. Wind 1 shuttle with blue thread. Mark this Pair 2 .
   
4. PAIR 1
   R 4 ds, MP, 4 ds, JP, 4 ds, MP, 4 ds, cl. R, RW.
   
5. PAIR 1
   Red C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, RW.
   
6. PAIR 2
   R 4 ds, slip bead over last P of previous R, J to this P, 4 ds, JP, 4 ds, MP, 4 ds, cl. R, RW.
   
7. PAIR 2
   Blue C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, RW.
   
8. PAIR 1
   Lift the red C OVER the blue C, R 4 DS, slip bead over last P of previous R, J to this P, 4 DS, JP, 4 ds, MP, 4 ds, cl. R, RW.
   
9. PAIR 1
   Red C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, rw.
   Repeat Steps 6-9 until the necklace is roughly the length you desire minus about 1 inch continuing to lift each C over the previous one. Finish off the last Red C but leave the Blue C to continue.
   
10. PAIR 2
    R 4 ds, slip bead over last P of previous R, J to this P, 4 ds, JP, 4 ds, MP, 4 ds, cl. R, RW.
    
11. PAIR 2
    Blue C 4 ds, P, 4 ds, put crochet hook through the centre hole of the press fastener/stud, pull the thread round the left hand through (just as if making a normal join), put the SH through the loop and pull up firmly, 4 ds, p, 4 ds, Do Not RW.
    
12. PAIR 2
    Blue C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, Do Not RW.
    
13. Take the red shuttle from Pair 1. Wind about 3 yards from this shuttle and use it to fill another shuttle which should become SH1 of this pair (in other words it is used as the core thread of the chain).
    
14. PAIR 1
    Red C J to centre P of next R, making sure everything is facing in the correct direction. C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, Do Not RW.
    
15. PAIR 2
    Blue Lift this chain OVER the Red chain, J to free P of next R, C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, Do Not RW.

Continue making chains as above, lifting each chain OVER the previous one. Finish the necklace by making the end in the same way as before when you joined the first stud (the chains at each end will be blue) but BE VERY CAREFUL to ensure that the press studs are facing in the correct direction before you finish the chain! It's very easy to get it wrong - I test carefully before my final finishing which is done by joining the blue chain to the central P of the 1st R, C 4 ds, 5 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, J to base of 3rd R, finish ends.

Also be careful to finish the last red C in mirror image to the 1st red C. This forms a series of red rings all along the necklace.

The end result is blue ends, surrounding interlaced red chains which form circles all running along the necklace in the same direction.