I lose everything. I lose my scissors, my pens, my keys, and I lose email. I designed this key as a request from someone, and now I’ve lost her email!
It was fun researching skeleton keys. They come in such amazing variety. Some are very plain, and others are incredibly ornate, so it left me lots of freedom to design what I wanted for the bow (I looked up key terminology too).
I’m not totally satisfied with the bit portion of this pattern. I think it would be better done with some block tatting. I may try to update the pattern, or make a second one, this weekend. If you’re not familiar with block tatting, YouTube has some video tutorials for shuttle tatting and needle tatting.
This is a beginner pattern. It is about 3-1/2 inches long (9 cm) and 1-1/4 inches wide (3 cm) when done with size 40 thread.
I used Lizbeth Gold Color 611.
Printable pattern (97K. Opens a new window.)
Patterns are available for download as a PDF file and are readable by using Adobe Reader. Download Adobe Reader free.
You will need:
Thread in your choice of color and size.
1 tatting shuttle or tatting needle
| ds | double stitch |
| p | picot |
| tp | tiny picot |
| j | join |
| lj | lock join |
Instructions:
Bow
R: (3ds p) 5 times 3ds, close, turn
*Ch: 13ds turn
R: 3ds p 3ds j to 4th p of previous R, (3ds p) 3 times, 3ds, close, turn*
Repeat between * until five R completed. Ch: 13ds turn
R: 3ds p 3ds j to 4th p of previous R, 3ds p 3ds j to 2nd p of first R, 3ds p 3ds, close, turn
Ch: 13ds lj to base of first R
*Ch: 3ds p (2ds p) 7 times, 3ds, lj to base of next R*
Repeat between * around, locking to base of first R at the end. Do not cut.
Shank and bit
Ch: 2ds j to last p of previous Ch, 2ds, turn
R: 3ds j to first p of first Ch, 6ds p 3ds, close, turn
*Ch: 6ds turn
R: 3ds j to last p of previous R, 6ds p 3ds, close, turn*
Repeat between * until 7 rings of the shank are completed. You can do more or fewer than this, depending on the length you want the shank.
Ch: 4ds turn
R: 3ds j to last p of previous R, 6ds p 3ds, close, turn
Ch: 8ds tp (2ds long p–about the length of the width of a ring) 3 times, 2ds lj to base of last R, 4ds, turn
R: 3ds j to last p of previous R, 6ds p 3ds, close, turn
Ch: (2ds j to corresponding long p) 3 times, 2ds tp 8ds lj to base of last R, 4ds, turn
R: 3ds j to last p of previous R, 9ds close.
Cut and tie.
Copyright 2013 by Nancy Tracy, All Rights Reserved.
