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Encapsulated Button Sunburst Motif

This pattern was originally published in the November 2002 issue of Tatting Times, published by Karey Solomon.

Uses variations of advanced techniques
adapted from the "3-5-7-9 Button Motif"
from A Labor of Love
By Lily Morales, ©Lily Morales, 2002

Materials:
Size 20 thread (Model was made with Manuela)
13 quarter-inch, four-holed buttons
2 shuttles, wound CTM
Crochet hook to fit holes of buttons
Abbreviations
(S2) Ring = Ring made with shuttle 2
S1 = Shuttle #1, S2 = Shuttle #2.
SCMR: self-closing mock ring
= is a structural (very small) picot, to be used for joining only

Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, S1 is used to make all rings and as the CORE thread of all SCMRs and MSRs. ALL picots are measured ¼ inch open.
To print, please use your "print preview" funtion to see if you need to print in landscape or portrait!

Terms and techniques:
When joining to the center button, you join to the hole in the button as you would to a picot. A down-join works best - insert hook from back to front of button and pull loop through, then pass shuttle through loop and tighten. Do not count that join as anything. Begin the next stitch with the first half (from front side). The next stitch after a button join needs to be made as tightly as the rest and it will automatically tighten the threads around the button join. Continue with the rest of the ring, as usual.

  • MSR -Mock Split Ring - leaving a loop as you would for an SCMR, make the stitches required and then leave another loop to make the next MSR or SCMR. The last ring of the segment will be an SCMR. After the last ring, make the second halves of the MSRs and then tighten one loop at a time to avoid putting too much stress on the thread.
  • SCJ - Split-Chain Join - Encapsulating S1 thread, insert crochet hook from FRONT to BACK of button, catch S2 thread and pull through a loop. Being careful not to twist loop, pass S2 through loop.

Split chain Join
Insert hook from BACK to FRONT of button, catch S2 thread and pull loop, "flipping" it back through. S2 thread should now be coming from the hole in the FRONT of the button, and a loop should be coming from the first half of the stitch.
Being careful not to twist the loop, pass S2 through loop.
FIRST tighten the first half of this stitch, then pull S2 thread to tighten the second half.
The join should look like a double stitch. If it does not look quite right, try making the next ds of the pattern and see if that straightens it out.
Be careful to make sure the tension of the stitches remains consistent.
Ring A: 3±5+(to first/next hole of center button)5-3.
chain a: 7.
MSR B: 3+(SCJ to next button)7+(SCJ to next hole of same button)3 {do NOT close SCMR B yet; leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
SCMR C: 3+(SCJ to next button)7+(SCJ to next hole of same button)3
{do NOT close B or C yet}
[(S2) Ring D: 12.]
As I worked my prototype motif, I found that I could avoid breaking my thread if I left another large loop in the CORE thread at the top of the last SCMR (C), at the base of (S2) Ring D:
Complete C:
3+(SCJ to next hole of button B)7+ (SCJ to next hole of same button)3, slip S1 through loop between B & C,
complete B: 3+(SCJ to next hole of button)7+(SCJ to next hole of button) 3, pull loop between B & C to tighten loop at base of B, pull loop at base of (S2) Ring D to tighten loop at base of C, and then gently pull S1 to close the loop at base of (S2) Ring D.
chain b: 7.
Ring E: 3+(A3)5+(SAME HOLE of center button)5-3.
chain c: 7.
SCMR F: 3+(SCJ to next button)7+(SCJ to next hole of same button)3 {do NOT close SCMR yet} [(S2) Ring G: 12.] Complete F: 3+(to next hole of same button)7+(to next hole of same button)3. Pass S1 through loop at base of F and close.
chain d: 7.
Repeat Ring A through chain d 3 times more, joining the last E3 to first A1.
Cut, tie, and hide ends.
Here are some scans of the pattern modified to fit inside a bangle:










Variations:
The Button Center MSR Cross

As you can see by the lettered scan above right, this is just a variation of the Encapsulated Button Sunburst Motif, without the outer buttons. The pattern is as follows (note: JR stands for Josephine Ring):

Ring A: 3±(G3)5+(to first/next hole of center button)5-3.
chain a: 7.
MSR B: 7, {do NOT close B yet }
[(S2) Ring C: 5±(L1)5.]
{Continue first half of B: 7, {do NOT close B yet; leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
SCMR D: 14 {do NOT close B or D yet}
[(S2) JR E: 9.]
Complete D: 14.
Pass S1 through loop between B and D and continue
B: 7 {do NOT close B yet }
[(S2) Ring F: 5=5.
Complete B: 7. Pass S1 through loop at base of B and close as directed above.
chain b: 7.
Ring G: 3+(A3) 5+(same hole of center button)5-3.
chain c: 7.
SCMR H: 7, {do NOT close H yet }
[(S2) Ring J: 5+(F1)5.]
Continue first half of H: 7, {do NOT close H yet}
[(S2) JR K: 9.]
Continue H: 7 {do NOT close H yet } [(S2) Ring L: 5=5.]
Complete H: 7. Pass S1 through loop at base of H and close as directed above.
Repeat Ring A through chain d TWICE and then Ring A through the first half of MSR B (including Ring C thrown off) ONCE, then {do NOT close B yet; leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
MSR M: 14, {do NOT close B or M yet; leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
MSR N: 14, {do NOT close B, M, or N yet} leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
MSR P: 14, {do NOT close B, M, N, or P yet; leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
MSR R: 14, {do NOT close B, M, N, P, or R yet; leave another large loop in CORE thread and continue with}
[(S2) JR S:9.]
Complete second half of R through M with 14 ds, passing S1 through loop at base of each MSR. Repeat second half of MSR B through chain d, joining last G3 to first A1 and last L1 to first C1.
Cut, tie, and hide ends.

Of course, you can remove the buttons from the Sunburst pattern, or add the buttons to the Cross variation. You can also eliminate the center button from either motif by replacing it with an SCMR of 2=2=2=2=2=2=2=2 (7 structural [very small] picots), and making the first Ring A a split ring of 5-3/5-3. Then continue with chain a and the rest of the pattern as written above, except where the pattern tells you to join to the center button, join each Ring G and A to the next picot of the SCMR foundation.