Tatting for Beginners - The Chain

[@jamesE81]

I have been struggling to ‘flip the knot’ but your video helped me finally understand what I was doing wrong! My tension on the “hand cord” was still too tight. Thank you. I’ve been trying to learn. My granny tried to teach me when I was young, but I didn’t understand got frustrated and stopped trying. I feel like a new world has unlocked. ❤ I crochet everywhere I go but sometimes can’t carry a skein of yarn. A shuttle and a small ball of thread can go everywhere. 😅😂

[@11Frivole]

So glad to hear it, thank you for your message! Yes I agree, tatting's portability is a great asset! :-)

[@elle450]

Same problem here 😢 I'm trying so hard but my left hand tension and position is always wrong

[@mamalisa1974]

I have really been struggling with figuring out how to make a chain from a ring. Your instructions are so very very helpful. Also the cord really does help to be able to see what is happening. Thank you.❤️

[@11Frivole]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your comment. I hope it's going well now but let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see.

[@Creatively_Crazy]

My Aunt told me about tatting when I found a tatting shuttle among some old stuff of my grandmother's and had no idea what it was. Used so much that the metal, E Boye shuttle's imprinted words are wearing off (this is what I'm learning with). Her great Aunt, (my great, great aunt), was going to teach her, but died before that happened. Now your videos are helping me learn how to tat so that I can teach my Aunt (now in her 70's) and keep a tradition that has been going on in my family for as far back as anyone can remember. Thank you so much for this video series. Your explanation on transferring the knot, and all the other videos have been the most helpful I've found.

[@11Frivole]

Hello Dawn, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I am delighted to play a small part in continuing the tradition of tatting in your family! :-)

[@msareli1]

Thank you so much, for your effort to teach the basics of tatting, it's a very nice of you, to do so. I love this art! And I'm still in the process of learning. Thank you again.

[@11Frivole]

You're very welcome Areli! I'm really glad you are enjoying learning to tat. :-)

[@marciasilviajohnson6461]

That is so useful for the people starting to learning tatting. Smart choice to use the thick tread we can see exact what is going on 🤗

[@11Frivole]

Thank you very much Marcia. The other beginner video has remained popular and one of the most viewed so I hoped this new one would be useful to beginners too. :-) I'm planning another pattern video coming up soon - stay tuned!

[@lillytorres1041]

I was so stressed trying to make rings, and now I get it! I wasn't loosening the string on my left or tightening the right. I took a break for a few days, and this was the first video I watched. Thank you so much 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@11Frivole]

Wonderful! Glad I could help! :-)

[@sharonsmith8504]

Some of the biggest teddy bears look scary, and I agree with you that everybody needs someone who believes in them, and I believe that he found them that day. I wish him well

[@marciasilviajohnson6461]

I will be waiting for the new pattern . I learned so much with your videos Thank you for teaching us, much appreciated 🤗

[@11Frivole]

You're very welcome Marcia, thank you for your comment! :-)

[@naydanjay]

I love your videos. You are such a great teacher. Thank you for sharing.

[@11Frivole]

You are so welcome! Thank you for your comment. :-)

[@christianalynnk]

Trying to learn how to tat... I appreciate you using the thick yellow satin cord that allows the transfer or "flip" of the knot to be seen! Thank you for your patience in slowing the process down for beginners. I found your "Transferring the Knot" video first. My first few stitches slide nicely on the "shuttle cord," so I think I am getting it and I speed up a little. But then when I try to slide my row it just knots up. I look at my shuttle and something has gone amiss. Perhaps I am also giving the shuttle a "flip" unintentionally! Could you make another explanatory video in which you comment about the hand holding the shuttle --- "lift slightly to allow the thread to pass under the index finger" or "above the thumb," etc. I'm pretty sure I'm holding my shuttle wrong... help!

[@11Frivole]

Hi Christiana, that is a very good video suggestion and I will try to get one done as soon as possible! :-)

[@christianalynnk]

@@11Frivole Thank you! I really appreciate it. I want to be part of preserving this "lost art form" in our generation!

[@mayuridas4877]

Hi ma'am.. I am Mayuri from India.. I like watching your tatting videos so much.. you teach so patiently which i really appreciate.. i am still learning to tat by watching your video with the help of my mom's shuttle which she bought many years ago even before my birth.. Now, the art of tatting has been almost lost but thankfully i came to know about from my mother.. But i always face problem while shifting the knots, sometimes it shifts so easily and sometime i have to struggle many times..

[@11Frivole]

Hello Mayuri, I'm very glad to hear you are learning to tat. It's very difficult for me to advise you without actually seeing what you are doing. I can only say to take your time and make sure each half knot has flipped before you pull it tight and check after each knot, that it can still slide on the core thread. Good luck! :-)

[@mayuridas4877]

Hello ma'am.. thank you so much for your reply.. m glad to let you know that after so much practise in one complete day i finally succeeded in learning how to tat.. now i can smoothly shift the knots without much struggle.. m super excited that finally i learnt how to tat though i have many things to learn now.. Thanks once again ma'am..

[@PixieOfPeril]

This helped me so much, thank you!!

[@11Frivole]

I'm so glad! :-)

[@dorothyteriinatoofa770]

Merci pour la démonstration avec de grosses cordes , explications claires..super!

[@11Frivole]

Ça me fait plaisir, merci pour votre commentaire! :-)

[@debraherston1632]

Thank you for a well made, simple and easy to see each step tutorial for tatting. One issue I have when doing this is to keep my thread from twisting. Any tips/suggestions to keep the thread straight??

[@11Frivole]

Hi Debra, which thread is twisting? Your core thread? Your working thread? I don't know what thread you are doing but some threads are more "twisty" than others and you may need to drop your shuttle and let it hang so that it untwists itself. Not sure if that's what you mean.

[@debraherston1632]

@@11Frivole yes , the shuttle thread. I’m using a mercerized cotton. #10. Is that the best thread as begin learning how to tat?

[@11Frivole]

@@debraherston1632 The shuttle should be your core thread. As I said some threads seem to be "twistier" than others and the only way is to drop your shuttle regularly, let it dangle and untwist itself before carrying on. Number 10 thread is good but a firm thread with a tight twist is better than a softer, looser thread. You could just test other threads, if you have some, to see if you have the same problem or if another brand/type behaves better.

[@debraherston1632]

@@11Frivole Thank you so much for your reply! I'll try your recommendations.

[@kbec11]

@@debraherston1632 You're welcome, I hope you find a thread that works for you! It is also possible that the way you tat could cause some twisting in the thread too (though I think less likely than it being the thread itself) but it's impossible for me to judge without seeing you work. I hope the right thread will be the solution though!

[@nilanthiwijemanna9791]

Thank you ma'am this is forward to me doing tatting. I never try before

[@11Frivole]

Glad if it helped! :-)

[@ruthfarcas9556]

I did a ring, then a chain. When I tried to close my second ring, it slid AWAY from my previous work, leaving a length of thread in between. I can't work out how to stop that happening - please help!!!

[@11Frivole]

Hi Ruth, I think it's only a matter of a bit of practice to get that right. You want to make sure the first half stitch of your second ring is really really close to the previous element. It can be easy for things to slip a bit when you are getting started. With some practice you should be able to avoid any gaps between elements. You could try to hold both rings under your fingers as you are pulling on the thread to close the second ring so that it doesn't pull on the thread that is between elements.

[@ruthfarcas9556]

@@11Frivole Thank you, but what happened is that I did have the new ring stitches snug up against the chain. Everything looked fine until I pulled to close the ring, then I got a huge gap, because instead of the ring closing up as a continuous piece, the new ring slid away for the length of however many inches I wrapped around my left hand. It's as though I did it all the wrong way round, but I can't see any other way to do it.

[@11Frivole]

@@ruthfarcas9556 Oh, I'm trying to visualise what you are saying Ruth... but it's not easy! I even tried to replicate what you are describing with my shuttle but it's not happening. I'm so sorry, it's really difficult to advise without actually seeing what you are doing!

[@ruthfarcas9556]

@@11Frivole So, 1st ring was OK - I pulled on the free tail and tied it off, then I did stitches along the tail to make a chain and tied that off. OK again. Then I wrapped the shuttle thread around my left hand - pinching the chain, taking it across the back of the hand and then under to pinch and form a loop; then I did stitches onto that, and the only thread to pull after that was the shuttle thread. But the thread closest to the shuttle is where the stitches are formed, which means the most recent shuttle end is the bit that slides over the top of the core thread. The core thread is between the chain and the new stitches, and the ring closes away from the chain, because pulling the shuttle only tightens the stitches on the core thread. Does this mean that after the initial ring I must ALWAYS work every subsequent design element onto the tail thread? I tried it and it seems the only thing to do, yet that doesn't seem to be what I'm seeing on the videos.

[@ruthfarcas9556]

@@11Frivole Update: I'm kicking myself! I wasn't flipping the stitch, which makes the shuttle thread the core thread. So now it's just a matter of practice to get even results and speed up. Thank you for your efforts!

[@kaboom5512]

Love your videos! I have a question, how long should the cord on pinkie be?

[@11Frivole]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean?... but as I say on the video, I will wrap it only once around my little finger if there is a shuttle attached (as the weight of the shuttle helps with tension on the cord/thread) but if I'm working from the ball I will wrap it twice to keep the tension. So there is no specific length. It's just wrapping it in a way that feels secure to you.

[@suecap4985]

Thank you so much 💐

[@11Frivole]

You're welcome Sue! :-)

[@tajarshia]

Unable to get the loop on the shuttle thread

[@11Frivole]

Hello, have you tried following my beginners' video on how to transfer the knot? Perhaps that would help as it sounds as you may be struggling with "flipping the knot", you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYjHk6uBYrOohLssi=s9966sCFU5LGpIWg

[@Lillia_Cre8tiveConnexions]

I have always struggled with tension. ( I 've never seen tatting other than online,) I notice in this video the legs are tall enough so that the caps do not make contact with the core thread, Is this just because you are using rattail or is this the same thing I should be doing with thread ? I have been pulling tight enough to make the caps sit on top of the core thread,

[@11Frivole]

Hello Lillia, I'm not completely sure how to answer your question! Tension can be a matter of preference. I try to work at a tension so that it's easy to pull the rings closed and the knots look even and consistent and I can work smoothly and at a comfortable pace. But I've never really thought of what you are saying about the caps not touching the core thread?

[@luulusoul]

I love your videos! But I am currently...very confused. In the first video, you use a single chord and 1 shuttle. In this video you are using 2 shuttles, or a shuttle and a ball. do I need to start with both? So many tatting videos I find start with the simple "cut your length" and then magically in the next video they are using two chords and I just...I"m confused.

[@11Frivole]

Hello Luulu, when you are working just rings, you only need one shuttle. But to make chains, you need two shuttles or one shuttle and ball. Some lovely patterns are made all of rings only (I think I have two in my beginners playlist) and then you only need one shuttle but when chains are added, then you need another thread which can come from the ball or from another shuttle. I hope that makes things clearer.

[@luulusoul]

@@11Frivole it does!!! Thank you so so much!

[@11Frivole]

@@luulusoul You're very welcome! :-) In fact, it makes me think I should add a video to my beginners playlist that explains this with a little demonstration.

[@luulusoul]

@@11Frivole

[@anapaulaoshiro345]

Como chá este amarelinho que está enrolado a linha

[@maureenbrown6610]

❤