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[zenatrix.livejournal.com]

Hi there! I've been sifting through the past posts in this community, and I must say, there is so much tatting talent here! Lovely work =)

I'm so very new to tatting that I don't know how. I don't know if it is because I am left-handed, but pictures and videos can't teach me this wonderful art. I'm hoping someone here might be able to help me find a teacher in my area (Northeast TN, near the VA-NC border).

I became interested in tatting about two years ago when my fiber art-adept mom said it was the one thing she couldn't do. She quilts, knits, crochets... but no tatting. Over the years she has made me many fine pieces of work, and I'd like to surprise her with a tatted piece.

I've tried the local craft stores, especially the small businesses like knitting stores and cross stitch stores. I've tried looking it up on the internet. Any suggestions in finding a teacher in my area? I should add that I want to learn shuttle tatting.

Comments

[satsumasalad.livejournal.com]

I daresay you've already tried mirrors on the instructions?

I would guess that it isn't anything to do with the leftyness, because so much, almost all, of the precision is actually in the left hand, unlike a lot of crafts. The tension, the picot size, the ring size - all controlled by the left. The right hand just moves the shuttle around in some fairly imprecise movements, and, admittedly, does the joins. Joins might be a bit tricky, I do concede that.

Have you managed to do the "ping"? That is, make the loop pass from the ring thread to the shuttle thread? This is the key to the whole thing, and infernally difficult to explain. It's to do with the timing of releasing and re-imposing the tension on the ring thread. Once you get it, you get it. It would help to be shown, even by a rightie.

Rebecca Jones in her Complete Book of Tatting shows the method of "wrong-way tatting". With this you don't do the "ping" and you keep the ring thread tight throughout, so if you can lay your hands on her book, you might find it easier to get started with that. You can get quite a long way with this method, but once you get to the point where you want to do split rings, you'll find you need a reverse method. But by then you'll know what a stitch should look like.

[zenatrix.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your reply =) I picked up some larger thread today (I only had size 80), so hopefully that will help me get the ping.

[moniqueleigh]

Hmmm. TN, huh? I'm not sure if I know any tatters in the area. I'd suggest contacting a lace guild to see if they know anyone in your area who tats.

Alternatively, you might check with Sue Hanson of the Yahoo Group "Here Be Tatters." She's a touch busy just now as her flat (well, I think the entire building, actually) is being re-done, but she's got a wonderful list of tatters around the world. Just send her the name of your town (& perhaps surrounding towns that'd be easy to reach for you). If she doesn't have anybody in your town, she'll probably ping the list to see if anybody else knows of someone.

Good luck finding an in-person teacher!! But if you can't, I know of quite a few lefties who tat the "normal" way -- most seem to agree with satsumasalad that it's not really anything to do with "leftyness."

[zenatrix.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your help =) I'll look up lace guilds in my area as well as check in with the Yahoo group (and Sue Hanson if all else fails).

I'll also give tatting the normal way a try and see if that doesn't work for me.

[honestgraft.livejournal.com]

I am a novice tatter living in Baton Rouge. I had a heck of a time tracking down someone to teach me how to use a shuttle. I was finally introduced to a tatting teacher living in Richmond!

Will your local craft stores allow you to place a small ad in their windows or on their 'class/events' bulletin boards? Also, & this may be a long shot, you could try posting a message to your local freecycle group seeking tatting instructions. I've snagged numerous crafting supplies & advice from the Baton Rouge group. Even if none of your local members are tatters, they may be able to put you in touch with someone who is!

Man, there should be a heading in the Yellow Pages: TATTING INSTRUCTORS. :)

[zenatrix.livejournal.com]

I have success! I watched Sharon Briggs's tatting video, read instructions a couple of times, made a few false starts, but I'm now tatting =)

I did look at freecycle, but this area just isn't that saturated with users. But hey, that's a great idea about getting supplies from freecycle. I'll have to look it up when I move to Seattle this winter.

[aspiemama.livejournal.com]

Try the "Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework". It has instruction on just about any needlecraft in existence but it is what I use to teach from. It is the ONLY book that I feel explains it clearly enough to learn from. It also has good instructions for bobbin lace.