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The Class Room Links in this Lesson Techniques: Debbie Drake's Alternative Method for the Magic Thread Trick Another way to add a new thread Hiding Ends in Single-Thread Tatting Patterns: Center for a Round Robin for Beginners
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Lesson 3This week: Joins, Rings off Chains, and Thread Ends
JoinsBelieve it or not, there is more than one way to make a join in tatting. We have been doing the standard join so far. A few years ago, Georgia Seitz presented an excellent lesson on shuttle joins. She discusses our familiar join, but also the "Shuttle Join" or "Lock Join." This join occurs when the core thread of a chain is closer to the joining picot than the working thread. One joins the core thread to the picot by means of a knot. Before making this join, always make sure the previous chain is SNUG and the size/shape that you want. The lock join is so named because the previous work is locked in place! You can undo this join, but it can be rather difficult. Sample pattern using shuttle joins: The Classic Rosette, a commonly-occurring element in larger tatting patterns, and one that Georgia Seitz refers to frequently in the On-Line class. Please note the directions for how to make a "false picot" to climb out from the center ring to the next round's chains - no need to stop to cut and tie! Some joins are placed in a difficult spot, so you cannot make the standard join normally, such as when you've make a flower of inward facing rings. The last join will twist unless you try something special. Tammy Rodgers explained it to the last beginner's class with a picture: Fold-over join. When following this instruction, pay attention to the positioning not only of your work (folding under) but also the placement of the core thread to the left. It is the placement of both that introduces the twist that will undo the natural tendency of this join to twist, resulting is an untwisted join. Sample pattern to try which has this type of join: Center for a Round Robin for Beginners. The center requires this join to attach the 6th ring to the 1st ring. But don't go to the next round yet! Keep reading!
Rings off ChainsFrequently as you look at patterns in books, you will see rings standing up on chains instead of being made at the end of chains. For shuttle tatters, these rings on chains require that you use 2 shuttles to tat the motif, replacing the ball with the 2nd shuttle. For needle tatters, you will need either a 2nd needle to use on what was the ball thread, or you can just thread and rethread your single needle as you switch from one thread to the other.These are easier to do than explain. Already you may be somewhat confused. But hopefully by now you have developed the ability to tell the shuttle or needle thread from the ball thread as they exit the work, without looking around for the ball. The working thread will be the one exiting the core of the main rings and chains; the ball thread will be the one forming the stitches on top. It will exit at an angle to the working thread. To form the ring on top of a chain, stop making the chain at the appropriate place. Do not reverse your work. Drop the original working shuttle or needle, and use the shuttle or needle attached to the thread which used to function as the ball thread (Dale Pomeroy calls this the auxiliary thread) to make the ring as called for in the pattern. After closing the ring, put this thread back over your left hand into the chain position. Pick up the shuttle or needle which was the working thread before you stopped to make the ring, and continue the chain. Clear as mud, right? Well, go back to the Center for a Round Robin for Beginners. The 2nd round of this motif consists of chains interrupted 3 times for rings to be tatted at the top of them. This round also requires shuttle joins of the chains to the center rings.
Thread Ends and How to Deal with Them
Continuous thread method (both needle and shuttle)We have already seen "CTM" in patterns everywhere. Starting your work with the working thread continuously connected to the ball (or other shuttle), rather than cutting the thread and knotting the two together, will save you 2 thread ends to deal with each time you start CTM. To wind 2 shuttles CTM, wind the first shuttle as full as necessary. Then pull enough thread off the ball to wind the second shuttle as full as you need it to be. You can wind onto a thread holder first, then onto your shuttle, if you find that you are knotting the thread during winding.
Tatting over tails (shuttle tatters)If you find that you must start with ends knotted together (such as when working with 2 colors, or you have to add a thread when running out), you can still hide the ends as you go by tatting over the tails. The reasoning: get that thread end to follow the core thread and be hidden inside the double stitches as you make them, saving you going back to sew them in later. There are two ways to accomplish this. Short ends: each time you flip a half stitch, use the pick on your shuttle (or your crochet hook or your fingers) to guide the thread end through the flipped stitch. On the first half, you will guide from the back and up through the stitch; on the second half, from the front and down. Then tension the stitch - and tension harder than normal, because you have two threads instead of one to squish in there. Long ends: use blue-tack, poster stick-up or even just scotch tape to attach the thread end to your shuttle, and tat as normal. That way, your thread end will automatically wind up in the core when you flip each stitch. Remember, tension more tightly due to the double thickness inside.
Sewing in thread ends: Lily's way (works for needle or shuttle)You will need to add another item to your tatting tool kit: Tapestry Needle (a needle with a big eye for your thread, and a blunt end so that you do not split your threads when hiding ends). Laundering/blocking will fray and possibly undo knots with thread ends snipped tight to them. Instead, we recommend that you sew the ends in. Sewing in your ends is not that difficult, really. Tammy Rodgers did an excellent job illustrating how Lily Morales explained how she sews in her ends Hiding Ends Lily's Way.
The Magic Thread Trick or MTT (shuttle)For those of you who prefer to finish as you go, there's another trick you can add to your arsenal: the Magic Thread Trick, referred to on the tatting lists as MTT. This works better with thicker threads (size 50 and larger) because you need to use a smaller size thread to accomplish the maneuver. I have been able to do it with size 80, but it was a close call! Magic Threads should be tatted into the final elements of a round - the areas where you could sew those threads in. Then, after completing the last element, you can pull the thread ends into the work. See Sharon's Briggs' Demo Videos. Magic Thread Trick video is launched from the bottom left corner. To place the Magic Thread, start with a loop of thread about 3-4 inches (7.5-10cm) long and folded in half. I personally use a "dental floss threader" because it is the right size, but also stiff. I find it easier to tat over for that reason. (It also makes an excellent beading needle, so is yet another good item for your toolkit). In case you don't know what one looks like, I scanned one and the box I bought them in at the grocery:
You will tat over the doubled thread loop, just like tatting over tails. But be careful how you orient the loop! The loop (pulling end) should be left at the end of the tatting with the thread end. So if you're starting a ring, you will be tatting over the tied end, with the loop staying at the base of the ring. If placing one in a chain that is heading toward the end of the work, you will work the chain to the last 6 stitches, tat over the loop end, with the knotted end staying in the middle of the chain. See Debbie Drake's explanation for an alternative way if you tat tightly (Debbie did the communion cloth, so you know she tats beautifully!)
Strategies for Dealing with EndsAdding a new thread: Since adding a new thread creates 2 thread ends, it's best to stop at a place where you will have 2 elements to sew the threads into and avoid having to put 2 threads into one element. If tatting over tails, try to stop at the end of a chain approaching a ring and chain combination. Then you can hide one end in the next ring, and one in the following chain. When adding a new thread, you may just knot the old one to the new one. Or you can try Debbie Drake method to add a new thread. Also, you may remember seeing one in the Hens and Chicks Snowflake from Lesson 2 which is Matthew Takeda's suggestion for adding a new thread in single-shuttle tatting. How far should you sew in or tat over tails? This is a difficult subject, and one that will take you some experimentation. It varies based upon the use of the object. There is basically one rule of thumb: try not to allow the thread end to exit from a picot (meaning between the double stitches of a picot). I try to go 6 double stitches at least.
Extra Credit Pattern: German Snowflake to practice hiding ends and your rings-off-chains, not to mention your pattern-reading skills. It's the top link. The list of abbreviations in German: Have fun!!
Questions: contact your teachers |
