Tatting…well, almost!
Posted By margaret on February 18, 2010
You know the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”…well…I lost it!
I unearthed my tatting shuttle the other day to show a friend how to use it. Oops…it’s supposed to look like this!
According to Wikipedia tatting dates to the early 19th century. It is a series of knots and loops and believe me, if you don’t “fling” your hand the correct way, you get a knot instead of a loop!
You wrap the thread around your left hand and use the shuttle to go over and under the loop on your hand. Next, you “fling” your fingers to move the stitch (if you are lucky) down onto the loop around your hand. That’s only half of the stitch. The shuttle is then put through the big loop on your left hand and once again you “fling” your fingers out to put the last half of the stitch on the big loop around your hand. Basically, that’s all there is to it! The stitches you have just created slide up and down on the big loop around your left hand. This movement allows you to make lots of stitches and slide them down the big loop until they form designs.
The problem arises with the “fling” of your left fingers. If you don’t “fling” properly you create one big knot. No movement, no design and it looks like mine above!
My husband’s grandmother, Mildred, took the time (and patience) to teach me to tat in 1968. I remember the year because she was born in 1800 and she was 68 at the time. Grandma told me she had tried all of her adult life to teach others to tat, but I was the first one to get it right! I sat on the couch for about six hours just “flinging” my left fingers and cutting off knots until I finally got the stitches to move!
I’ll never be as good at tatting as Grandma. She would sit and visit or watch tv and keep her shuttle going, creating yards and yards of tatting to give to friends. All of her pillow cases and towels had tatting attached, mine as well.
I’m going to buy more thread and revive my tatting fun. It really is a beautiful lace, created with just the shuttle and a “fling”.
Yay! Thanks Jane! I bought more thread and some small beads. I am anxious to try to use beads with the tatting, but have never done it so I’m reading up on how its done.
Looking forward to your tutorial!!
I’m drawing up a series of pictures to show how to do the ‘slip and slide’ way with the shuttle. If you can hang on a few days I should get it done!!!!!
Gina, thanks for the mention of keeping the knot on top. That was a big help. I do keep having issues with the second half of the stitch and my “fling”, but I’m getting better. I’m looking for some easy patterns now. When I tatted way back then, I just did the edging, but I’m anxious to give patterns a try. Thanks again!
LOL! Well, that “FLING” thing you’re doing is actually relaxing the tension on the left hand by putting your fingers down and thus loosening the thread around your hand. You also have to pull with your right hand and that flips that loop upward so that it will slide. Remember the saying about jars and things that are screwed – lefty loosey, righty tighty! As the others have said, go check out the online tutorials. It’ll come back to you easily!
Thanks for your votes of confidence. I’ll buy more thread and watch youtube videos, plus now I have others to help answer questions!
I’m off to visit your sites to find an easy pattern. I feel as if I am a beginner again.
Thanks so much to each of you!
That is a very cute post! I think tatting is like riding a bike…you can do it again! As Jane mentioned there are many tutorials on youtube and all over the internet! There is a very helpful internet tatting community!
I have always thought that someday I would learn how to do tatting. I may just give it a try. Now to find someone to show me!
Good luck with the tatting! If you’ve mastered it before, it will come back to you. I love to bring tatting in the car (when I am a passenger!!), great way to pass the time on trips.
Just thought I’d pop in to tell you that there are a lot of turorials on youtube and online generally. I’ve got a web site of free patterns too. Just shout if you want more help. You’ll soon get back into the swing of it – promise.