Optional Ring (11) This ring helps to hold the stitches on the tatting thread, and would allow you to braid several Boas together for a more full look. Tie the ends of all the yarns and thread together next to the ring, leaving the tails free.

To measure the Very Large Picot (VLP): With the yarns as the ball (chain) threads, with your right hand (if you are a right handed tatter) grab the strands of yarn right next to the little finger of your left hand, and lay the yarn up and over the left hand so that you can hold the yarn in the "pinch" between your thumb and finger. This will form a VLP the length between the "pinch" and your little finger.

You simply MUST see the tatted BOA that Ruth made for me -- she just whipped it out in about half an hour, while the rest of us were chatting and showing off all our "bring and brag" stuff. Please be sure to read the titles and captions of the pictures, btw. : - )

Ruth taught this Boa at Hector, too, but swore us all to secrecy, until after Hector -- well, it's after Hector, by a long shot, so I guess it's safe to show it now. I've also already made several of these -- the blue one turned out STUNNING -- even wore it to DS2's Opening Day Ceremonies for his Little League team (we're the Dodgers and so far, we're 5 and 1, yay)!