For Love of Tatting
I don’t want anyone to think Paul is working for nothing. I am teaching him Yiddish Slang. This way he can shlep to Glasgow, get some gelt, maybe meet a Shikseh, and have a nosh. 
I got my domain name through my server. But you can buy a domain name from lots of places like Go Daddy. WordPress is easier to use then Blogger and has more options. At least so far.
Tatting shuttles are one of the most complex needle work tools around. Knitting needles and crochet hooks are basically sticks with either a hook at the end or a point at the end. Even Bobbin Lace bobbins are just weighted sticks. They are primitive compared to the simple tatting shuttle.
A tatting shuttle holds thread. That is all it does. Shaped like an oval with a block inside so the thread can be wound. The outer material must go over the block and curve down so it just touches the opposite side. The ends must just touch. To tight and not only can’t the thread be unwound, but it will fray the thread. Too loose and the thread will unwind when the shuttle is allowed to drop, and untwist the thread. It must fit easily between the index and thumb of the right hand. It should hold a fair amount of thread. It shouldn’t be heavy or bulky.
Tatting shuttles can and have been made of almost any material. Wood, shells, metals, plastics. As long as the material can hold its shape. Old shuttles which show up on Ebay of ivory and heavily carved were never meant to be used. Tortoiseshell shuttles also show up. If you can get past the tortoises being boiled alive for their shells they are very pretty. ugh Most old shuttles are only good as collectors items, as the points no long touch. A sprung shuttle can’t be repaired. Once that tension is gone, it is gone forever.
Over the years I have collected some tatting shuttles. And I have tatted with most of them. My favorite shuttle is a inexpensive plastic shuttle from France. Costing a whooping $2.00
This post is mostly eye candy. Some of the shuttles were gifts from my Mom. Some are from tatting conventions I went to. The sparkly ones are made in Alaska. The fish shaped one, and the one with the carved openings are from India. Carved by children. If I had known, I would never had bought them.
Comment ID #613
Which one is your most bestest shuttle?
The turtles have been dead quite a while, since tortise shell hasn’t been harvested for decades, right??
Comment ID #615
So which one out of the bunch is your favorite?
How many tatting shuttles does one need? Or is that similar to the question, how many knitting needles does one need? lol
Comment ID #616
You only need one shuttle to tat almost anything. Some advanced tatting uses two shuttles. Tatting is probably the most portable craft ever. A small ball of thread and a shuttle and off you go.
See the little green one in the first picture? A very inexpensive plastic shuttle. I really like this one. The wood shuttles are very warm in the hand. All of the wood ones actually have different colors of wood inlaid. Unlike say Knit Picks Harmony needles where the wood is ground up mixed with plastic and dyed different colors. The wood shuttles are really small works of art.
Comment ID #618
Gee, I used to tat years and years ago. Nice to see that people are still doing it. I have some lovely old books…maybe I’ll pick up a shuttle sometime soon.
And you might be able to tat with Dolce, but it is a wee bit fuzzy.
Am not evil!
Comment ID #620
If I tatted, I’d sadly own about 3000 of those cute shuttles. Seems like something highly collectible, susceptible of being compulsively amassed in a secret hiding place. lol
Posted on November 8th, 2008 at 7:37 pm.
Comment ID #629
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