Any tatters in the house?

[Deb]

I'm learning to tat using an old Boye shuttle and it's time to find an easy project. This is the most portable thread art ever. I did find a great website that shows how to form the basic knots. http://www.gagechek.com/slb/demo/demo.html
They sure make it look easy. :-)

Thank goodness Mom is still able to help, it's something we can do together in the Dr's waiting room.

Any good tatting book suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[China_cat]

1. Any of the Ann Orr books are good.

A New Twist on Tatting

One of the things I like about tatting is that it is very easy to design your own projects.

[Deb]

2. Thanks

I'll look for them. Yes, it does seem easy to do your own designs, I've made a simple snowflake without using a real pattern. Wish I hadn't waited so long to learn.

[blogslut]

3. I'm a needle tatter

My grandmother tried to teach me shuttle tatting but she was right-handed and I am left-handed and I could just never get it. However, with a needle I can do it. I'm not great but I can tat edging, bookmarks and simple doilies.

[wryter2000]

5. I even bought a set of needles

I only did marginally better when them than with the shuttle.

[blogslut]

6. I can dig it

Have you ever tried CRO-TATTING?

http://www.geocities.com/mountainhome1999/

[wryter2000]

7. Sounds interesting

That website didn't work for me. Something about exceeding its limit.

[China_cat]

8. Try this one.

http://www.anniesattic.com/crochet/detail.html?prod_id=18227

[Virginian]

15. I like that.

Needle tatting for the rings and crochet for the chains between them.

[wryter2000]

4. Oh, my gosh

My grandmother wouldn't teach me how. She was a perfectionist, and I guess it's hard to tear out mistakes, so she gave it up. I've tried teaching myself how to do it with no luck at all.

I do the second best thing -- thread crochet. I haven't done any for an age. This forum is going to get me going again, I can tell.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. I recently did some thread crochet, which I also hadn't done in

years. I took squares of flannel and crocheted a lacy edging on them for use as receiving blankets. It's a quick and easy project, but it really gives an heirloom feel for a pretty little baby blanket.

[joneschick]

9. hey, I was going to ask that!

I haven't tatted in years. My grandmother taught me 40 years ago when I failed knitting. I knit so tightly that I broke the needles! I'm a shuttle tatting purist. I used to do some lovely pieces that included beads. I have no idea what became of them. I think I gave them to friends. :hi:

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Needle tatting. My grandmother was a tatter, but I could never teach myself how

to join with my 'teach yourself to tat' booklet, so went with the needles. My aunt was kind enough to give me all my grandma's shuttles.

[Virginian]

14. I've tried both. Shuttles are easier to take on a plane.

My needle tatting seems to look a little more even, but shuttles are easier on airport security.

I took my last project with me in a baggie when we went on vacation, the flight attendant said she had been watching me work and asked me what it was called. When I said "Tatting," the man in the seat in front of me turned around to look over his seat back. He said his mother had been trying to teach it to his daughter.

My Mother always had a shuttle, knitting needles, and crochet hooks around. I first learned to knit on my pickup sticks in elementary school but have pretty much forgotten how. I still crochet. All I knew how to crochet was a chain until high school when I made my first baby afghan. Tatting was the last one I learned. My Great Aunt taught me, then I took a refresher course at a local fabric store.

When I bother to put up a Christmas Tree, I have tatted snowflakes and some free standing lace embroidery snowflakes I have made on my sewing machine.

I don't dare take on any really large projects, Snowflakes and hankie trimmings are about my limit.

[hibiscus]

12. hi

I am a shuttle tatter. :hi:

[photogirl12]

13. My grandma tried to teach me years ago

but she lost the patience. I really wish she had taught me. She used to make tatted edges for all of our pillowcases and dresser scarves.