This two-part stitch is the only stitch in tatting.
To begin, CUT a length of thread off a ball that is 40 inches long. Thread the needle so one thread end is 4 inches long, the other 36 inches. Holding the needle in your right hand pick up the longer (36-inch) thread in your left hand and put it behind the needle. Hold it against the needle using your right index finger, and close the three bottom fingers of your left hand over the longer thread
Wrap the thread on top or over your finger (clockwise round).
From the bottom of the index finger going upward, slide the needle toward the end of the finger. Put the thread on the needle, then remove your index finger.
Hold the stitch on the needle using the right index finger. Step 1 of the double stitch is complete
Next, wrap the thread under or behind your finger (counter clockwise around).
Bend your index finger. Slide the needle toward the end of the fingernail. Pull the thread down the needle toward the other stitch and snug them together.
Step 2 of the double stitch is complete. This is the only stitch in tatting. When making a double stitch, slide each step over to the other stitches. One double stitch made.
Making a Picot
Put 4 more double stitches (ds) on the needle for a total of 5ds.
Repeat step 1 of the double stitch and put it on the needle. Stop the thread about 1/2" from the last double stitch, using the right index finger to hold it. Repeat step 2 of the double stitch and slide it over to step 1. The threads should look like the photograph.
Note: you are leaving a space between the double stitches. The space makes a picot.
Slide the double stitch over to all the other stitches.There are now 5ds, picot (p), 1ds on the needle.
Making a Ring
To make a ring (R):
With your right fingers, hold the needle. Put the thumb and index finger of your left hand on the stitches. Slide the stitches toward the eye of the needle.Gently slide the stitches off the eye of the needle. Do not let go of the double stitches
Keep sliding the double stitches down the thread.
Keeping pulling, letting the ring form between your fingers.
The ring is now closed (CL). The tighter the thread is pulled the smaller the ring will be, but pull only the needle thread, not the short tall.
The pattern for the ring shown will read R 5-5-5-5- Cl. (Or, R 5ds, p, 5ds, p, 5ds, Cl.)If a ring does not form and the stitches look like a half moon, you did not start correctly. Start over with another 40" length of thread. Refer to the very first photograph and be sure to start on the longer end of the thread.
Working off the ball thread.
R 5-5-5 Cl
R 5-5 (Illus.1).
Turn the needle around and un-thread the needle (Illus. 2)
Do 5-5 using the needle thread, that was just un-threaded, passing the double stitches over the eye end of the needle (Illus. 3)
Turn the needle back around, re-thread the needle (Illus. 4) now close the ring as usual*
Repeat from * to * for desired length (Illus. 5).
Tips
A. Half the double stitches are made with the ball thread and half the double stitches with the needle thread.
B. If you want the rings to have a right and wrong side. When making the double stitches with the needle thread, make the second half of the double stitch first and the first half of the double stitch next.
C. Try using two colors, reversing after each ring giving an interesting look.
Beads are fun to use and add a little sparkle to your tatted piece. They can be added to any patterns to make it more elegant, add pizazz, or create a different look. There are only three ways to add beads in tatting.
Here is a guideline:
#8 extra fine needle - 11/0 bead-2.1mm or referred to as seed beads, use with Size 80 or 70 thread
#7 Fine needle - 11/0 bead-2.1mm or referred to as seed beads, use with Size 60, 50, 40, 30 or 20 thread
#5-0 needle - 8/0 bead-3.1mm, use with Size 20 or 10 thread
Images are clickable to larger images for your convenience.
Method 1:
Working off the ball, pre-string the beads onto the thread leaving them next to the ball. Pull up a bead when the pattern calls for it (Pb). This bead acts like a picot, but there are two ways to proceed. Photo #1 on the top needle, no space was left for a picot: on the bottom needle a 1/8 inch picot space was left. Photo #2 on the top needle, 4 beads (4Pb) were pulled up with no picot space. The bottom needle shows what the ring looks like with all of them in place.
Method 2:
When making a ring, you can put a bead on the tatting needle. This way the bead is between the double stitches. Photo #3, on the top needle, the bead sits between the double stitches without a picot; the bottom needle an 1/4 inch picot was left with the bead on the needle. Photo # 4 shows what the ring looks like with both of them in place. Before you begin tatting, be sure that the bead will go over the eye of the needle.
Method 3:
This method is a joining with a bead. Slip one bead on a Size 15 or 16 crochet hook, the joining picot, slide the bead onto the picot (+b), photo #5. Keep the crochet hook in the picot and immediately join; put the thread behind the picot, pull the thread through the picot, then put the thread on the needle as normal, photo #6. Finish the pattern. Photo # 7 shows the rings with a joining picot. The joining picot can be on rings or chains.
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