So tatting is a craft I have not previously attempted. I have not historically been a lace person, so tatting, which is a type of knotted lace, was not a high priority. Finding myself in Texas, where thick woolens are not required, I’ve come to appreciate the functionality of lace. Mainly, I can craft something that is wearable in the Texas heat. To keep it real, I took a picture of my failed first attempts.

Not to cast a pall on all the fantastic lace work out there, but they all started with misshapen tangles of thread too. It is hard to learn new things, and the first products are not usually spectacular. It takes time and practice to develop the muscle memory and control for different hand crafts. Enjoying this learning process helps me not abandon the effort in frustration. Although it is not a bad idea to take frequent breaks, because it can be exasperating teaching our hands new skills. I did eventually produce a small chain of loops.

I used the word “not” eight times in this post, see what I did there?