Joanne's Crafts - About Us

TATTING INSTRUCTIONS

If you are a beginner at tatting, you need to know how to get started. I haven't done a lot of tatting (lace making), but it's a beautiful craft which goes back hundreds of years, and which allows you to make the most beautiful projects. Below are the beginner steps in tatting. They should get you off to a good start!

Unwind shuttle so the thread is about 12 inches long. Hold the thread between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand and pass it around the outstretched fingers, crossing it under the thumb.
With the shuttle in your hand, pass the shuttle thread under and over the hand just below the point of fingers. Pass the shuttle between first and second fingers of the left hand, undershuttle and ring thread and bring it back over ring thread allowing the ring thread to fall slack by bringing the four fingers of the left hand together.
Pull shuttle thread taut and then spread the fingers of the left hand until loop is close to fingers and thumb of left hand and pull tight.
The second half of the stitch is made in the opposite direction. Allow the shuttle thread to fall slack, pass shuttle over ring thread, back under ring thread and over shuttle thread.
Pull shuttle thread taut and tighten ring thread until second half of stitch slips into place beside the first half. 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 made over again. Practice the doublestitch until it can be done without locking up.
A picot is made by leaving a space between the stitches. Make the first doublestitch as directed and work three more doublestitches. For the picot, make the first half of the next doublestitch, slide it on the thread stopping about 1/4 inch from the last stitch, complete the picot with the last half of the doublestitch.
Work 4 more doublestitches then work another picot, four more doublestitches (hold all stitches firmly between thumb and forefinger of left hand) now pull the shuttle thread until a ring forms with all of the stitches. Make sure the first and last stitches meet to form a firm ring.
Joining rings: Wind the thread around your hand as for the first ring (leaving a 1/4" space of thread before starting the next ring) and work the first 4 doublestitches as before. Use a crochet hook and insert it into the last picot from the first ring you made. Hook the tread that is lying over your index finger and pull it through the picot. Now draw the shuttle through that loop - tighten up the shuttle thread - this takes the place of the FIRST half of a doublestitch - now make the LAST half of the doublestitch to lock the two rings together. Continue on with 4 doublestitches, a picot, 4 doublestitches a picot, 4 doublestitches and close ring.
In tatting instructions, all of this would be written as: Ring 4 ds, 3 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, cls ring. Ring 4 ds, join to last p of last ring, 4 ds, 2 p sep by 4 ds, 4 ds, cls ring. Following the abbreviations: ds=doublestitch, p=picot, sep=separated, cls=close the instructions should be easy to follow. Always become familiar with the abbreviations in any tatting book before you try out any of its patterns.

Tools You'll Need:

Tatting Needles, Sewing Needles, Crochet Hooks, Bobbins, Tatting Thread, Fabric Stiffeners, Embroidery Scissors, Tapestry Needles, Tatting Shuttles, Scissors, Beeswax, Threads

I hope you will find these tatting terms, and tatting abbreviations helpful in
creating your first project!