Intro to Tatting and Two Patterns

Doily made as a wedding present

I have to admit to putting off writing this post; it's a lot of material to cover.  But since I'm stuck at home with a spring cold; I figured I'd take advantage of it.

Tatting is a lacework technique that is done with a shuttle or sometimes a needle.  It's also somewhat of a dieing art: I've never actually met irl someone else who tats.

I have been tatting for a little over a year myself.  One of the things I love most about it is that you can make something beautiful and priceless that can be handed down for generations for literally a few dollars.  All it takes is a shuttle and some thread or yarn.

Here are some of my tatting tools: shuttles, yarn, thread, small scissors, shuttle for thick yarn, and crochet hook  for connecting picots (not shown, oops!).

You can find plenty of tutorials and video tutorials on how to tat online so I'll skip that part.  Heres a good one though.

This and Tat Tutorial

Here is the tutorial that I personally figured tatting out from.  Something about how the hands are drawn made it click for me.  Click on it to see it full sized (as usual).

From The Reader Digest's Guide to Needlework circa 1970s.

In an attempt to incite some interest: here is a tutorial for a matching daisy headdress and brooch perfect for country lolita, classic lolita, mori, otome, dolly-kei, or even gothic or sweet lolita (in the right yarn colors).  

To start out you'll need a shuttle and a properly sized crochet hook to connect picots with (if your shuttle doesn't have a hook).  These can usually be found at your local craft store (I know Joanns has tatting shuttles), if you can't find them around you, you can get them online.

 If you want to get started right now and are too impatient to go out a get a shuttle, you could cut out an improvised shuttle from stiff cardboard (in the shape of the "thick yarn" shuttle in my tatting tools photo).  If you don't have a crochet hook either, you can use the blunt end of a needle to connect picots, or anything similarly shaped.

For this pattern I use a sport weight yarn, but I don't think you need to be exact.  Try out some rings and see if the size is what you want.  Use any color you want of course.

For these patterns I'm going to using both the shorthand method and the visual pattern method.  I find the visual method easiest.  Here is a good tutorial on how to read the visual method.

Please enjoy my retro mspaint style, and click on the photos for a larger view. 

For the shorthand pattern: ds= double stitch and p=picot

Daisy Brooch

This is made in 3 unconnected layers:

Layer 1: uses shuttle and ball of yarn

Ring: (3 ds, p) 3 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 7 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 7 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 7 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 7 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 7 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, join to first p on first ring, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 7 times, 3 ds, cut and tie to beginning of the first ring.

Layer 2: Uses shuttle and ball of yarn

Ring: (3 ds, p) 3 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, closee

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, join to first p on first ring, 3 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, cut and tie to beginning of the first ring.

Layer 3: uses just shuttle

Ring: (3 ds, p) 3 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, join to first p on first ring, 3 ds, close, cut and tie to beginning of the first ring.

Daisy Headdress

Headdress: uses shuttle and ball

1rst Daisy:

Ring: (2 ds, p) 3 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, join to first p on first ring, 2 ds, close, 

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, cut and tie to beginning of the first ring.

2nd Daisy: 

Ring: (2 ds, p) 3 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: 3ds, p, 3ds, attach to 4th p on on one of the 1rst daisies chain, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, attach to 2nd p on the next of the 1rst daisies chain, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, (2ds, p) 2 times, 2 ds, close

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, turn

Ring: 2ds, join the last p on previous ring, 2 ds, p, 2 ds, join to first p on first ring, 2 ds, close, 

Chain: (3ds, p) 5 times, 3 ds, cut and tie to beginning of the first ring.

3rd, 4th and 5th daisy:

Same as 2nd daisy, just attach to previous daisy, not the 1rst one

Tiny decorative daisies: just uses shuttle

Ring: (3 ds, p) 3 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, (3ds, p) 2 times, 3 ds, close

Ring: 3ds, join the last p on previous ring, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, join to first p on first ring, 3 ds, close, cut and tie to beginning of the first ring.

Repeat until you have 5 (unconnected)

If you followed the patterns correctly (and I wrote it right), you should have something that looks like this.

Materials needed to finish brooch and headdress: 

• Felt
• Needle and thread of correct color
• tulle (optional)
• scissors
• beads or buttons
• flatback pin and/or hair clip
• extra yarn
• Crochet hook (not pictured, how did it escape all of my photos?)

To finish the Brooch:

Put all 3 layers on top of one another according to size.  Arrange so that the petals fan out in a pleasing manner.  Stitch all 3 layers together; securing knots and covering loose threads.   Then sew a pretty bead or button securely on the center. 

Cut two felt circles out; small enough so as not to be easily seen through the flower.  I trimmed the circles with my scallop scissors because it's pretty. 

Cut 6 vague petal shapes out of the tulle.  This is a optional step, you can just leave off the tulle if you don't like the look.

Overlap the petals into a pretty daisy shape on one of the felt circles.  Pin in place and then sew down.

Place your tatted flower on top of this and carefully sew together.

Sew the pin back and hair clip to other felt circle

Securely sew the two pieces of felt together: in a circle around the edge and in the middle.  Ta-da!  Brooch is complete!

To finish the Headdress:

Layer the small daises on top of their large daisy counterparts.  Stitch together, securing knots and hiding loose threads.  Then sew a pretty bead or button securely on the center of each.

Cut 4 pieces of matching yarn, each a little more then twice the length of headdress "tie" that you want.  Use a crochet hook to loop these through each of the picots show on either end of headdress.  Make sure the yarn pieces are pulled through so that they are all of even lengths.  

Tie a knot at the top of both of the groups of yarn.  

Braid the strands, using two pieces of yarn for one section of the braid.  Keep braiding until the headdress tie is a comfortable length for wearing. Tie a knot in the end and trim extra.  Do the same for the yarn on the other side of the headdress.

Now you are done both your headdress and brooch.  I hope you enjoy them very much!

I used the extra yarn left over from the headdresses ties to make a tassel for my recently fixed sandlewood fan.  A very important accessory for the the summer and for after and durring dancing.

Although I'm tempted to keep them (I seem to have misplaced my own tatted rose headdress, and the brooch/hair-clip is so cute!); I will be giving away the set as a "blog giveaway" when I publicly announce this blog to the EGL forum.  It'll probably be in the next week, so keep your eyes open for a post!