Tag: tatting

Flying

On By CarynIn Craft

We recently took a flight for the first time (for me) in years. I was hoping to get some knitting done, but once I sat down in the seat, I could tell I didn’t have room for my paper pattern, yarn bag, and knitting with two circular needles. Nuts. I pulled put my emergency craft from my purse, which this trip was tatting shuttles and extra wound bobbins. This I could do within the confines of my seat. I pulled up my Pinterest Tatting list, and started on a round pattern. On the second round, I could tell I had a problem.

Photo description: tatting with white #10 cotton thread, the second round of Josephine knots is open

The way the pattern was laid out did not fit what I was doing; my second round could not lay flat and still connect to the beginning of the round. I could undo the second round and try something different, or clip out the center. Hm. I opted to clip out the center, literally, because I couldn’t have scissors on the plane so only had nail clippers.

Photo description: same work with the center clipped out, the picot loops teased out, and additional Josephine knots added until the project lay flat

After getting the second round to lay flat, I replaced the center with six loops done in rainbow thread, which worked out nicely and stayed flat.

Photo description: same work, but with a red, purple, blue, green, and orange variegated thread knotted into six loops and attached at every other picot to the outer round

I started on the third round with the colored thread to balance the center color. To my horror, I ran out of thread. During travel. Luckily, Walmart carries cotton crochet thread, and there are Walmarts nearly everywhere in the states. They did not have the colored yarn, but they did have something I could craft with (that will be another post). The little coaster had to wait until I returned home.

Photo description: partially finished cotton tatted mini doily

At home, I loaded up a bobbin with the same colored cotton thread and was able to finish the third round and weave in the ends.

Photo description: finished tatted mini doily on a calico cat that is very happy to be back on my lap
Photo description: small tatted doily made from #10 cotton thread in white and variegated thread alternating three rounds, blocked by wetting and laying it flat to dry

The finished lace is a nice coaster size, and it amuses me to see a bit of lace peeking out from under my cup. Apparently I am a lace person down deep (but not a frilly person). I am finding the tatting to be soothing now that my skills are developing.

Tatted bracelet

On By CarynIn Craft

I saw a picture on Pinterest of a tatted bracelet that I recognized most of the elements used for construction. I’m having trouble interpreting written tatting instructions, but a picture is almost as good as a chart, and much easier for me to follow. I loaded up my tatting shuttle with #10 cotton, left it attached to the ball, and started with the ring part of the clasp. It took me a few hours to complete, and I carried it around in my purse for a while to work on when I was waiting. The bracelet is worked with the same series of a closed loop and a chain on both sides, and each connection used a picot.

Photo description: Tatted bracelet made of closed loops and chains with three picots. The clasp is made with a ring on one side and a cluster of closed rings on the other side.

I did have to join in more bobbin yarn, but the ends were easy to weave in with a needle. I joined the last chain to the opposite side with a square knot and wove in the ends. To block it, I soaked it in a solution of white glue and water, to give it some stiffness and protect it from staining. I need to experiment with the ratio of glue to water. The bracelet turned out stiff and itchy, and didn’t resist a tea stain when tea accidentally spilled across the counter.

Photo description: Blocking the bracelet on wax paper after soaking in a white glue and water solution.

The clasp works reasonably well, although it takes a different set of hands to close.

Photo description: Bracelet clasp shown closed with the loop cluster pulled through the opposite loop.
Photo description: Finished bracelet on my daughter’s wrist.

I need to work on the tension of my knots, the consistency of picot size, and the consistency of the closed loop size. I may try another bracelet to get the basics down. The tatted lace is sturdier than crocheted lace, but the counting slows me down, and I need a different way to hold the shuttle so it doesn’t hurt my thumb. So, not my favorite craft, but could be useful in a future project on a small scale.

Another tatting attempt

On By CarynIn Craft

I went shopping in my craft room. I was fairly certain I had more than the one tatting shuttle I found, so I perused my shelves and found a baggie with five more shuttles! Score!

Photo description: Ziplock gallon bag with shuttles and bobbins lying on a table in front of a plastic storage bin filled with yarn tools labeled “knitting”.

I have inherited a variety of crafting implements over the years, so shopping in the craft room is a common occurrence. I did manage to make a lopsided star in tatting. Skill development in this area continues.

Photo description: White tatted five-pointed shape with some twisted stitches and curved points lying on my palm.

Tatting

On By CarynIn Craft

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.

Photo description: Tangle of cotton thread with misshapen circles made of knots.

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.

Photo description: Four knotted loops with picots connected with knotted chain, done with two threads.

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