OT tatting

There are various books with instructions available in many craft shops, and she might look there. However, neither I nor anyone else I know who tats was ever able to learn shuttle tatting from printed instructions! (And every one of us was able to learn any other craft from books -- including other methods of lace-making. But all we got with book directions was knots that wouldn't slip -- very frustrating!) The way to learn is to find someone who tats and will spend some time with you in person. Both of you will have shuttles and thread, and do it together.

Kellie J. Berger wrote:

My grandmother taught me to tat with a shuttle. I haven't done it in years. I never remembered how to connect the flowers. I would just make single flowers and glue them onto blank cards and then draw a vase or flower cart or some sort to finish the image. If we were close I would love to show you what I know. You might try Craft Warehouse if you have one. I know they sell the supplies and books. Debra in Idaho

the first few that came up on a search for "instruction shuttle tatting"

This site has books on shuttle tatting as well

Tatting is very hard to learn from a book. Someone almost needs to show you how to snap the thread to move the loop from one thread to the other. I tried for the longest time to learn this from a book.. It only took 3 min with my MIL to show me. Go to a retirement home, you will find someone to teach you. BTW, My MIL told me that as young girls when they got a new sack of flour one of the three daughters got the sack and that is what they made their underwear from. She saved all of the strings off the sacks and maybe feed sacks too. By the time she got married she had enough tatted lace to sew on all the curtains she made for her first home.

Tatting was the one thing I couldn't figure out on my own! A friend's mother was visiting from Canada, and she teaches tatting, so showed our local craft group how to tatt. All my tatting info is in Canada, as it is something I do when I have nothing else to do. The finished product is beautiful, but it is the most unforgivable form of lacemaking on the planet!

I tat with shuttles, up to 4 shuttles at a time, never have done needle tatting. Tatting is actually no more than hitch, half hitch knots, Tatting was developed by sailors to while away the long hours at sea. It's the same method used to mend nets and sail eyelets. If you've ever seen a fishing net mending shuttle you will see it's just a monster tatting shuttle. The men used threads and made lace to woo the ladies with gifts at home. In the

1800's it was very commonly done by men as well as women. I used to take my tatting with me to work for down times. I could tuck a little zip lock sandwich bag with shuttles and thread balls in my pocket. While sitting in my dump truck waiting my turn to load I would tat away.

I honestly don't think I could have figured our shuttle tatting by reading instructions. You need to be able to transfer the hitched loop to the other thread creating the double half hitch. I think it's more of a "feel thing" when you finally get it right. I had a pile of clipped knots on the end table before I got the 'flip/snick' down on the knot transfer.

The suggestion of going to an elderly care facility is a good bet or also try your community senior center. If you have a good needlework shop in your area some of them give tatting instructions but I've found these are mostly for needle tatting which IMO looks more like crochet. I just happened to find an evening extension course at a local University that taught tatting.

The other thing I will say is that not all shuttles work for all people. I have about two dozen shuttles and use only 6 of them, the others just don't feel right in my hands. My friend likes the metal ones with hooks, I can't use those to save my life. I've found my favorites in antique shops. they are small and either celluloid or ivory. It all depends on your hand size and your own developed technique.

Good luck, it's a wonderful old craft and really too bad it is a disappearing art.

Val

It is possible to learn from a book. I did so years ago from a little Coats & Clark "Learn How Book", which had instructions on crochet, embroidery, knitting, and tatting. However, given what the others have said, perhaps I just got lucky :-). I had some problems with it at first, but figured it out when I persevered. I had to pay strict attention to both the pictures and text.

Here are some instructions that I just found on-line:

some free patterns: I found those, and many more, by searching for: tatting +free +instructions at google.com

Bev > Friend asked last night if i know how to tatt... Told her i didn't know how

Just to add to Bev's link, the one at Annie's Attic shows a couple of extra hand positions that might help when moving the shuttle.

HTH, Carey in MA

Kellie, thanks for bringing up the topic of tatting. My Great-Aunt Margaret was the person who tatted in my family. Sure wish I had asked her to teach me years ago. Unfortunately I'm left-handed. Instructors wouldn't let me into classes that I tried to sign up for over the years. Between the books, online resources, and other suggestions people have given in response to your post, I might just try again too.

Kay Ahr in NV

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Kellie J. Berger wrote:

but i would search for directions and ask y'all. She is looking for the "shuttle method" her grandma left her supplies and some partially made things and she wants to try her hand at it. The only directions and kits she and I have found are for using a needle.

thanks! I will search more when i get home, but i wanted to ask y'all b4 i forgot.

-- Kellie J. Berger

Marketing Co-ordinator Illuminations Arts

Tatting is one of the easiest thread arts around. It never occured to me that you could do it with a needle. Seems like that would be taking a simple thing and adding an unnecessary degree of fuss.

Here are a couple of links you might find useful:

The first one is just tatting links, the second has more concrete info.

NightMist

My dear friend was left handed and her grandmother taught her to knit and crochet by sitting her on a stool so they faced each other instead of sitting next to her and trying to do things 'backwards'. She said it worked pretty well because it was like watching and copying a mirror image. Might be worth a try.

Val

Kellie - our local Michael's Craft Store has tatting classes. I threatened to take some, much to DH's chagrin.

Kay - I am left handed also. I crochet right handed, throw a ball right handed. Play tennis right-handed unless it is a backhand shot [then I switch the racket to my left hand and do a forehand ;))]

G> Kellie, thanks for bringing up the topic of tatting. My Great-Aunt

but i would search for directions and ask y'all. She is looking for the "shuttle method" her grandma left her supplies and some partially made things and she wants to try her hand at it. The only directions and kits she and I have found are for using a needle.

Whether you use a shuttle or a needle, I can do both. It is not the use of the tool that is the problem. It is the little snap you give the thread after you take your stitch and before you tighten it. It transfers the loop from the left thread to the right thread. That is the hard part to get across in a book.

Kay, I'm also left-handed, and was struggling to learn to tat (shuttle) from a book. Then I saw a letter in an old Threads magazine; the writer said a left-handed person should use the right-handed instructions as given, not trying to reverse, because the left hand controls forming the knot (or something like that). I tried it and got nice little picots instead of a nasty snarl. I've not gone any farther with tatting, but that seems like the way to go for me, at least.

Lee

Tell her to come visit Petoskey and visit the shop I work at on Tuesday or Thursday evenings -- my co-worker who works those shifts tats and even tats with teh shuttle method =)

Grin!

Tricia

Kellie J. Berger wrote: