On occasion, I'm inspired to try something different to what I normally do. This happened the other night while doing my normal reading over at Intatters. There was a post asking if anyone else is into Cro Tatting. There are links to both the post & Youtube here and here.
At the moment, I can't afford to purchase the set of CroTat hooks they sell at Handy Hands for right at $34, especially on something I"m not sure I'll even enjoy. So, I searched through all my crochet hooks & couldn't find anything that would work. I tried. So... At this point, I thought "well, at least I can brush up on my needle tatting skills until I can find a hook that'll work"....Right....
Methinks I'll just shuttle tat rings & bare thread, then crochet over it if I want them both together. I've already picked out a picture of a rings only doily I plan to try this out on. Shuttles are wound, all is right in the world again.... :) Hats off to you people who can use the needle!!!
Enjoy your day!
I always feel like I need to specify that I'm needle tatter so that people don't picture with me a shuttle creating amazing works of art --not because the same result can't be accomplished, but because I almost feel like choosing needle over shuttle when I chose to learn tatting will put some noses in the air. I've seen too many people speak of needle tatters in a negative light, I suppose. :-/
ReplyDeleteThat said, my hat is off to you who can tat with a shuttle. I'm kind of self-taught.... Just me, a needle, thread, and the internet. I keep trying to master the shuttle but the shuttle hates me! I get all happy when I get one stitch right and think that I finally got it and then... the next stitch is a complete failure. I can't even imagine being able to master it anymore! Not, at least, until I can actually see someone do it --and not a video. That hasn't worked at all for me. LOL.
I'm so off-point! *blushes* When you were trying the needle, were you working off the ball? The ring that was meant to be a chain may have closed like that due to you tatting with the wrong side of the thread. When working with a cut thread, you start at the end and work toward the threaded end. When closing, it naturally forms a ring. To do a chain, you'd have to either use the cut thread for rings and then a ball for chains OR never cut a thread. Start with threaded needle, and start tatting with the thread straight from the ball, leaving a length of thread for your stitches to move on to (it depends on the pattern and it's easy to use more than needed. Remember, it's just a core thread, so it doesn't take much at all.). Chains will close naturally, but with rings, you have to come up through the loop at the end of a chain. Pull tight (the loop will go away), and you have a ring. After each ring/chain, to reverse work, just flip your item over --right to left, and bring the needle up through the crossed threads to tie a knot.
I just made it sound really complicated, didn't I? It's really simple, I swear!!!