Needle Tatting: Lesson 2

Now that you've practiced the first half of the double stitch (ds), it's time to learn the second half.  If you already know how to do an embroidery cast-on stitch, you know how to do the s of the ds.

Mary Corbet has a good video on how to do the cast-on stitch.

This is how I do it:

 Begin with a 12" tail thread and a 12" loop on the ball thread

 As before, wrap the ball thread around the pinky finger for tension control

the thread is then brought in front of the pinky, the ring and middle fingers, around the back of the index finger as shown

 curl your hand towards your wrist, laying your thumb on the thread wrapping the index finger to hold it from slipping off

 the thread may pop up a bit

 the needle is then placed through the index finger thread loop, working from the knuckle towards the nail

pull the loop off the index and onto the needle


you've created the first s of a ds! yay!

 make 18 s on your needle

it will naturally curl and twist

 pull the stitches down along the needle, past the eye and onto the tail thread making sure not to let the tail thread get caught

remember the loop the tail thread makes?

Do not pull the loop through, but leave the loop as shown

then, bring the needle around from behind and pull it through the loop, tightening fully

 hold onto the end of the tatting and pull the tail thread only
( if you pull the ball thread, it will lock)

 a ring is formed. tie a knot with the two threads,

now, this ring is twisted, just like the threads on the needle, and looks tattered

 to create an untwisted ring, align the stitches on the needle so there are no twists

 then pinch the stitches between your left thumb and index finger

pull the stitches down the needle as before and onto the tail thread, leaving a loop

still holding the stitches, complete the ring as before

this shows the pinched stitches and the needle going through the tail thread loop

here's how the ring should look after being pulled fully to close, and knotted

this is called a Josephine Knot

I like to make these as little flowers.


You have just tatted:
R=18s Cl R
(Ring of 18s   Close Ring)

Now you know how to create a chain, a ring, a Josephine Knot, d and s stitches! Yay!



Next time, we'll put the two elements of the ds together, creating rings and chains.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.
Hugs from Suz