The Science of Tatting

Tatting is a handmade knotted lace formed with a fine thread and a tool called shuttle.

The shuttle works as a thread-holder and, as with a weaving shuttle, it moves between the threads on the loom of the hand - but that is the only similarity with weaving.

If you are looking at a pile of lace in a flea market, tatting will stand out from the rest because it is composed entirely of small rings, or rings and arched chains. These rings and chains are usually embellished with picots - tiny loops of thread between stitches. Some picots are purely decorative, but others are used for the vital function of joining elements together.

TATTING PATTERN

There are 2 types of tatting patterns that one can use to create a lace

1)     A written pattern has mathematical-looking notations and extensive use of abbreviations.

2)     In a visual pattern the design is drawn schematically with annotations indicating the number of double 

        stitches, picots, rings, chains and order of construction.

UNDERSTANDING A TATTED LACE

Various branches of the art of knotting make use of the Tatting knot.

If 2 half hitches are tied together on an idependent thread they form a double knot (as shown in fig1).

The thread on which the knots are tied is called the Foundation thread. If a number of these knots are made upon an independent Foundation thread, the result is a tatted chain(fig 2).

If one double knot is made at a slight distance from the one before it, leaving a ‘space’ of thread, when the knots are pushed up closely together this thread will remain as a loop between the two, this is the picot(as shown in fig 3).

When a sufficient number of knots have been made, the running line can be pulled tightly so that the last knot will be brought round to form a closed ring(as shown in fig 4).

DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC SHAPES

The ring itself is the most primitive basic shape. It can be used in various combinations to make simple geometrical forms.

A line of 3/more rings can be pulled round so that the last ring meets the first, forming an enclosed space between them. The piece can be any shape, according to the number of rings used. 

- 3 rings suggest a triangle with equal sides.

- 4 rings suggest a square.

- 5 rings suggest a circle or a pentagon

- 6 rings make a circle or a hexagon

- A larger number can be drawn into an oval

MAKING OF A TATTED FABRIC

To produce a piece of tatted fabric, any of the above motifs may be repeated and laid in rows, each joined to the next.

Triangles can be laid together in a number of ways

- 2 make a diamond shape

- 6 make a hexagon

- If another triangle is added to each of the 6 sides, the result is a 6-point star

- 3 six-ring circles can be combined to produce a triangular form and so on.

A 6 ring circle, which is in effect a hexagon, can be produced in all directions, every arm linking another to make a piece of fabric, rectangular or circular.

Any of the basic shapes can be added to by working other motifs around them, retaining or altering their original shape as needed.

Information and Image source: Internet