Tatting
These instructions come from an old,old 'leaflet' of my mother's. And she's not sure,who she got it from. There is no name or copyright information, anywhere on it.
Tatting is an ancient craft that is made using one or more shuttles, or a shuttle and a ball. The most practical shuttle is the one with a sharp blade-like pick at one end. The pick is used to draw the thread through a picot when joinings are made. If a shuttle without a pick, is used, you will need to use a pin or crochet hook each time to pull the thread through in joining. The ends of the shuttle should be tight enough to prevent it from unwinding if dropped.
Winding the Bobbin
In the center of the shuttle is a bobbin. If it is removable and has a hole at one side, tie the thread and wind until bobbin is full. If it is not removable, tie thread into the bobbin hole and fill the bobbin by wrapping smoothly and evely with thread until bobbin is filled. Do not fill beyond the blades of the shuttle. To practice with, any coarse crochet cotton, # 20 or 30, is a good choice. This size thread is good for linen guest towels, use finer thread for daintier work. Tatting is a series of running knots or stitches, which are usually drawn into a ring. Thread must slip easily through the knots.
DOUBLE STITCH
Unwind about 15" of thread from the shuttle. Hold flat side of the shuttle between thumb and forefinger of right hand, in a horizontal position. The thread should be coming out of the back of the bobbin. Grasp the thread about 3-4" from free end between thumb and forefinger of left hand; spread the middle,ring and little fingers and bring thread around to thumb and forefinger again, to make a circle, holding it securely between thumb and forefinger with the end of thread and crossing it. This forms the ring upon which the stitches are worked.
Each tatting stitch is really made up of 2 stitches, one purled to the right and one to the left. These 2 stitches form what is called the double stitch (ds).
To make the first half of the double stitch, (fig 1)
hold shuttle in right hand, bring the shuttle thread across on palm side and above the little and ring fingers of the right hand (middle finger can be used with other fingers of right hand, to help guide the thread), carry the thread to the left of the ring, thrust the shuttle down through center of ring away from you front to back. Let top portion of ring between forefinger and middle finger of left hand slip gently between right forefinger and shuttle. Without releasing hold on shuttle, bring it back over same portion of ring-that is, slip ring thread between thumb and shuttle (fig 2).
Relax or ease the fingers of the left hand, allowing the ring to collapse slightly and pull the shuttle out to right until the shuttle thread is taut. Keep the right hand thread taut; with fingers of left hand relaxed, allow ring to collapse slightly, give a quick jerk away from you with right hand, thus the first half of st automatically jumps, looking somewhat like a blanket stitch. Spread the fingers of the left hand, expanding the ring. As you raise the middle finger of the left hand, the slip knot slides easily to forefinger and thumb of left hand. Hold slip knot in place with forefinger and thumb of left hand. The slip knot should slide along the top of the shuttle thread as shown in Fig. 3
Practice this part several times and test to see if it is a slip knot by pulling the shuttle; the shuttle thread should slide easily through the stitches. This step is very important for if you do it correctly you will have a slip knot or stitch, if not, a hard knot which will not slip on the ring will be the result.
The second half of the double stitch is made in the opposite way. Hold the first half of the double in place between thumb and forefinger. With shuttle in horizontal position (do not wind thread around rignt hand as for first half of double), keep thread to the front, allowing it to fall slack (Fig. 4).
Let top portion of ring between forefinger and middle finger of left hand slip gently between thumb and shuttle as it moves over the thread, away from you. Bring shuttle immediately forward, under the same portion of ring thread - that is, slip ring thread between forefinger and shuttle, without releasing shuttle. Throw a slip knot in the same way as before; relax the fingers of the left hand, allowing the ring to collapse slightly, draw the shuttle to the right until the thread is taut, give a quick jerk away from you with right hand, then spread the fingers of the left hand (Fig. 5),
thus expanding the ring and throwing the slip knot or second half of double in place beside the first half.
This completes a double stitch. By pulling the shuttle thread, the stitch slips back and forth. If it does not, the stitch has been locked by a wrong motion and must be taken out and made over.
Practice making the doubles, until they canbe done without looking at the instructions; draw each stitch against the previous one. When you can make doubles easily, experiment by making 10 or 12 doubles, then pull the shuttle thread tight to form a ring, while holding the stitches gently together.
Rings and Picots
The dainty effect of tatting depends on the lacy loops called picots (ps). A picot is the first half of a double, but instead of being drawn close up against the preceding stitch (Fig.6);
it is held by the thumb on the shuttle thread at a distance of about a quater inch from the preceding stitch; complete the double and draw shuttle thread, thus the doubles will meet and a picot loop is formed on the ring (Fig. 7).
The double made in forming the picot is considered part of the next group of doubles.
Practice doubles and picots until you can make them readily. Then make a ring. Remember to keep thread on the back of shuttle for ease in working. Work 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds. Hold stitches firmly in the left hand under thumb and forefinger, after last double is completed, draw the shuttle thread gently until ring is completely closed and the last double made touches the first double of the ring (Fig. 8).
For larger picots, leave a larger space (sp) between doubles.
Joining Rings
*About 1/4" from ring just made, begin a new ring. Make 3 ds, then join this ring to the preceding ring. Hold work close to picot and with the "pick" of shuttle (pin or crochet hook), draw ring thread up through last picot of preceding ring (Fig. 9),
making a loop large enough to insert shuttle; slip the shuttle through the loop and pull shuttle thread taut to the right, draw ring back out of picot with fingers on left hand, make second half of double. Be sure to hold shuttle thread taut or a square knot will develop when second half is made and it will not slip. Now work 3 more ds; p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds and draw up to form a second ring. Continue from * for desired length.
To reverse work, turn your work so that the base of ring just made is at the top and work next ring as usual.
TO JOIN THREADS - Always join new thread at the base of the last ring or chain by making a square knot and leaving the ends until work is finished as the strain may loosen the knot. Cut ends later leaving them long enough so that they will not pull loose. Never join a new thread in ring as the knots will not pass through the double stitch.
Chains
A shuttle and a ball thread are used to make a chain (ch). It is necessary to use both working threads (a shuttle thread and a ball thread) when rs and chs appear in the same design. To make a ch after a r, reverse work (rw); to do this turn ring over so point where the shuttle thread comes out of ring is at top between thumb and forefinger. Tie end of ball thread in square knot to shuttle thread very close to bottom of ring. Hold the ball thread across back of fingers of left hand, wind it twice around little finger to control tension, (Fig. 10),
and hold free end of ball thread between forefinger and thumb of left hand. Make a series of ds with shuttle on ball thread. When ch is completed, draw sts close together and drop ball thread. Rw and pick up shuttle thread to make another r.
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Last updated on Sunday, March 02, 2003