The SCMR: A Chain With Attitude!

I had a couple of questions sent to me about the SCMR bracelet I mentioned in my previous post, so I'd like to talk about that for a few minutes. 

I like SCMRs - they bring a lot to the tatting table.  You can throw rings off them, which you can't do with a traditional ring, and you can close them in different ways according to what you're tatting and the look you want to achieve.


The thing that may be hardest for me is avoiding the dreaded gaposis.  Here it is, fouling up my SCMR - but it can also foul up traditional rings, chains, loop-tatted rings - it's aggravating!  Yes, I fixed it - as it was just three double stitches, I frogged them and (carefully) re-tatted.

In answer to the tatters who said they'd like to watch me tat this SCMR with the bead at the close, here it is - step-by-step.  First, pick up the bead with your crochet hook (this one is a size 13, and the beads are size 8).


The second picture shows the bead transferred to the loop of core thread.  Note that the core thread has been pulled to make the loop smaller; I'm going to show you the close I use most, which is a flat close, because it locks the SCMR so it can't accidentally open.

Here at left, I've used the point on the shuttle to pull up a loop of shuttle thread through the loop at the beginning of the SCMR.  This loop of shuttle thread can be used as a "handle" to pull the SCMR closed.

Here is the SCMR completely closed, and ready for the shuttle to be put through the loop of shuttle thread to close and lock it.  What's happening in this method of closure is that you're making a shuttle (lock) join into the SCMR loop.

After the shuttle thread is pulled tight to completely close the loop, the SCMR is locked closed.  I have been teaching this method for over five years now, and most tatters who try it tell me they like it better than the usual method of closure, which is putting the shuttle through the SCMR loop.  There is certainly nothing wrong with the usual method - to each his own, after all - but sometimes my SCMRs will re-open when I start tatting the next element of the piece, when I've closed with just the shuttle through the SCMR core thread loop. 

I like toggle clasps, especially if they're interesting ones - this one is a gecko!  This is a fun pattern - not necessarily a quick pattern, as it takes a little longer to tat an SCMR than a traditional ring, but it is a lot of fun.  With this pattern, you can choose your beads as you tat and not have to pre-string.