Tatters 7/14/07

My adventures in tatting. I first learned tatting from a book that I got a used book sell. It explained different types of tatting and I wanted to do the shuttle tatting, it looked unique, since I already do crafts with hooks and needles. Unfortunately, shuttle tatting aggravates my wrist badly and I have to wear braces on my wrists if I do it very much. Since I find tatting addicting, I had to learn needle tatting instead since there is much less movement by the wrist. But I did make a couple items with my shuttles and here they are.

As always, click the thumbnails to get larger pictures.













These caterpillars and butterflies were made and hooked onto a journal I made my mother. I loved making them because they were small and easy. I could stick them in my pocket and work and take out the shuttle and work on them in between customers without anyone knowing.

Since then I have begun needle tatting, which is actually easier for me in general because it is very similar to casting on a knitting needle. Unfortunately it isn't quite as easy to hide and potentially a little more dangerous for me to try to hide in my pocket. So instead I work on them during lunch or breaks. My first needle tatting item was a butterfly . . .





My second needle tatting item is actually shown here in wip form as I am not finished with it yet. I am attempting to make myself a small bag. I am making four sections and a bottom piece and then plan to hook them all together with a yellow motif of some sort . . .haven't figured that out yet. But it is simply made up of rings and picots.




Here are the two sections I have done so far. I am working on the third piece, but only have a couple of rows so far. I am using a size #3-0 tatting needle and DMC embroidery floss. I am not using a pattern for the bag, just attempting it on my own. Here are a couple close up pictures of the rings.






I find tatting just as addictive as any of the other crafts I do, which is good and bad, they all fight for my attention.