A Tatting Blog For Me

Hello, all you fellow tatters out there (and non-tatters as well). I'm starting a blog on one of my favorite hobbies of all time. It's definately my favorite hobby in the textile arts...tatting.

Tatting is a form of handmade lace made popular in the Victorian Era by aristocratic ladies who found the form of lacemaking a flattering way to show off their hands. I think tatting is just a beautiful art form...period. There are certainly a lot of tatting websites out there with tatting pics and instructions. Some people even have their tatted goods for sale. Just Google "tatting" or "tatting shuttle" and a world of fascinating and educational pics, articles and websites awaits.

I first saw tatting when I was 3 years old. I sat in fascination as I watched my older sister wistfully creating the most beautiful pieces of art I had ever seen. I was entranced. The pieces of tatting she made looked like lacy little snowflakes; so delicate and lovely. Thus began a lifelong love of tatting. I learned to tat when I was 14. My mother taught me (Now, THAT is a story all it's own. Perhaps I'll share that another day). When I would mention tatting to my friends I soon found that no one else knew what it was. None of them had even heard of tatting. Now, when you're 14... NOTHING is more important than fitting in. So, I soon became a closet tatter. It was just easier that way. I was so ashamed...I was the only one that knew how to tat in my school. I laugh at that now, how silly, but when you're 14, like I said, nothing is more important than fitting in. This was the 80's and I HAD to look and be "cool" so I endured my secret life of tatting all alone. ...sigh... (puts tongue in cheek, here)

I find tatting to be very therapeutic to say the least. When I'm going through a hardship in life it gets my focus off of things I cannot control and sets my mind on something productive, purposeful, and beautiful. Not to mention it's cheap. All one needs is a tatting shuttle and tatting or crochet thread. A tatting shuttle can range anywhere from $1.99 to $125 or more (for an antique). Most of my tatting shuttles are a brand called "Aero" or a close imitation. These shuttles are plastic with a very small hook that resembles a tiny crochet hook on one end. They run about $4.99 - $5.99 usually. Thread comes in many sizes and colors and usually costs under $5.00. I recommend starting with size 10 crochet thread as it is easier to see the double-stitches and I especially like DMC brand's "Cebelia". There are many colors available. I think DMC is a high quality thread and I like how even the thread is; resulting in a smooth, beautiful finished piece of tatting. There are cheaper brands out there but they are lumpy making it hard to slide the thread against itself to make a double-stitch. I also recommend for beginners to use either an ecru color (off white) or a more colorful thread of your choosing. White gets very dirty very easily and when one is just learning the hands tend to sweat more and the oils from the skin will soil the thread. Ecru or another color hides this a bit more. Speaking of hands...ALWAYS wash them before picking up your tatting shuttle and thread. This a a good habit.

Well, that's all for now, folks. I'm looking forward to sharing more tatting posts with you later.

Love,
Tattingchic