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Tatting Tips
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Double
Stitch:
Remember that the first half of the stitch is like an
“A” with the shuttle passing below then above the
working thread of the A. The second half of the
stitch is like a “U”, and the shuttle passes above then
below the working thread. |
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Needle Tatting:
This is a form of tatting made using a needle rather than a
shuttle. The first half of the stitch is made just like casting
on with knitting. It can be easier to learn, as the knot
doesn’t have to be flipped like in shuttle tatting. It also
produces a slightly more padded look than shuttle tatting.
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Flipping
the Knot:
This seems to be the most difficult move in shuttle tatting. If
you are tatting right-handed, once you pass the shuttle over or
under the working thread to make the stitch, dip your left
middle and ring fingers (and pinkie if you carry the thread over
it as well) below the level of your left index finger to relax
the tension in the working thread. At the same time, pull your
right hand away from your left (without pulling any more thread
off the bobbin) to increase the tension in the shuttle thread.
If done quickly enough, you should feel a pop as the knot flips
from the shuttle thread to the working thread. It is easiest to
see this if you work with two different colors first (making
chains) or with a variegated thread (making rings). |
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Hiding Threads:
To give your work a more finished appearance, consider hiding
the ends of your threads. Take a 3” piece of dental floss and
lay it over the working thread, tatting over it loosely as you
do the first few stitches and leaving a loop uncovered beyond
the first stitch. It is easiest to do this with the first chain
of the pattern, rather than in a ring. When you complete the
pattern and come back to the dental-flossed chain, cut your
threads, leaving 3 to 4 inches. Thread them through the dental
floss loop and gently pull the dental floss through, bringing
the threads with it. When the end of the work is flush with the
beginning of the work, clip the remaining threads close to the
work. You can treat the area with a product like Fray-Check if
you like. |
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Picots:
These little loops of thread between the stitches can completely
change the appearance of the finished item. The more picots and
the larger the loops, the frillier the item appears to be.
Keeping your picots small for joins will bring the elements of
the design closer together. |
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Starting a pattern:
Many patterns tell you to wind a certain amount of thread onto
the bobbin, then tie your shuttle and ball threads together. If
you are using the same color thread, don’t cut the thread after
you wind it onto your bobbin. The first ring in the pattern can
be started anywhere on the thread. If you start the pattern
with a chain, you will need something to hang onto so the chain
doesn’t unravel. If you don’t want to tie a square knot, put a
safety pin on the thread and hold the safety pin between your
thumb and index finger to start tatting. You can leave the
safety pin there until you finish the pattern and use the loop
left by the safety pin to join the end of the work to the
beginning. |
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Reading Patterns:
There are several styles of patterns, old-style
shorthand, standard shorthand, diagram, new shorthand,
etc. (These are my terms, by the way!) The
old-style you will find in old books and magazines and
is generally the same as standard shorthand but uses
more words. Standard shorthand is the most common
(3ds sep by 3p, clr rw). The new shorthand
(3-3-3-3) is more difficult for beginners to get used to
and often doesn't specifically tell the tatter where to
join picots. The diagram type is the easiest
because it shows a line drawing of the project and puts
numbers into the picture. The only drawback I've
seen is that with small pictures of detailed projects it
can be hard to tell which section the number is
referring to. |
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