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Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Tatting, in a nutshell 2025

Dear Gentle Reader 

What is tatting? you may ask... I put all the answers in a little nutshell for you....

Tatting is a type of lacemaking that involves creating intricate patterns with knots and loops using a shuttle and thread. It's a delicate craft, often used to make edgings, doilies, or even jewelry. While its exact origins are unclear, tatting is thought to have evolved from knotting techniques and gained popularity in the 19th century with the availability of finer threads. 

Here's a more detailed look:

What it is: Tatting is a lacemaking technique that uses a shuttles or needles to create knots and loops, forming a variety of decorative patterns. 

How it's done: A tatting shuttle holds the thread, which is manipulated to create double stitches that form rings and chains, formed from a series of cow hitch or half-hitch knots, called double stitches, over a core thread. Gaps can be left between the stitches to form picots, which are used for practical construction as well as decorative effect.
In German, tatting is usually known by the Italian-derived word Occhi or as Schiffchenarbeit, which means "work of the little boat", referring to the boat-shaped shuttle; in Italian, tatting is called chiacchierino, which means "chatty".
The earliest evidence for needle tatting dates from April 1917, in an article by M.E. Rozella, published in The Modern Priscilla.[5] A tatting needle is a long, blunt needle that does not change thickness at the eye of the needle. The needle used must match the thickness of the thread chosen for the project. Rather than winding the shuttle, the needle is threaded with a length of thread. To work with a second color, a second needle is used. Although needle tatting looks similar to shuttle tatting, it differs in structure and is slightly thicker and looser because both the needle and the thread must pass through the stitches. However, it may be seen that the Victorian tatting pin would function as a tatting needle. As well, Florence Hartley refers in The Ladies' Hand Book of Fancy and Ornamental Work (1859) to the use of the tatting needle, so it must have originated prior to the mid-1800s.

In the late 20th century, tatting needles became commercially available in a variety of sizes, from fingering yarn (s sock yarn or thin wool yarn used for embroidery) down to size 80 tatting thread. Few patterns are written specifically for needle tatting; some shuttle tatting patterns may be used without modification.

Materials: Tatting typically uses a specialized shuttle and thread, often a fine cotton thread, though other materials can be used. A small crochet hook or needle is sometimes used to help with joining picots or working with finer threads. Older designs, especially through the early 1900s, tend to use fine white or ivory thread (50 to 100 widths to the inch) and intricate designs. Often they were constructed of small pieces 10 cm or less in diameter, which were then tied to each other to form a larger piece — a shawl, veil or umbrella, for example. This thread was either made of silk or a silk blend, to allow for improper stitches to be easily removed. The mercerization process strengthened cotton threads and spread their use in tatting. Newer designs from the 1920s and onward often use thicker thread in one or more colors, as well as newer joining methods, to reduce the number of thread ends to be hidden. The best thread for tatting is a "hard" thread that does not untwist readily. Cordonnet thread is a common tatting thread; Perl cotton is an example of a beautiful cord that is nonetheless a bit loose for tatting purposes. Some tatting designs incorporate ribbons and beads.

History: While some believe tatting evolved from knotting techniques used centuries ago, the form we recognize today emerged in the 19th century. The first published article in 1851 on how to join Picots with a crochet hook greatly speeded up the work.. 1864 saw the arrival of the second shuttle or Ball Thread, which was used for working a chain. This was attributed to Eleanor Riego. 
In "The Crochet Book, Fourth Series," Eléonore Riego de la Branchardière exemplifies an innovative approach to crochet, blending exquisite technical detail with an artistic flair. The book serves as a comprehensive guide, showcasing patterns that range from the intricate to the accessible, reflecting the Victorian era's fascination with domestic arts. Riego de la Branchardière's prose is imbued with a conversational yet authoritative tone, allowing both novices and skilled artisans to engage deeply with the craft. The volume not only presents a collection of patterns but also contextualizes crochet within the broader tapestry of 19th-century fiber arts, inspiring readers to appreciate the social and aesthetic dimensions of their work. As an influential figure in the realm of needlework literature, Riego de la Branchardière draws from her own extensive experience in textile arts, as well as the aesthetic movements surrounding her. Her passion for crochet is evident in the meticulous instruction and evocative illustrations that characterize this series. Through her work, she both preserves and innovates traditional techniques, appealing to a generation eager for both guidance and inspiration. Recommended for both aspiring crafters and seasoned practitioners, "The Crochet Book, Fourth Series" is a treasure trove of creativity that invites readers to explore their artistic talents. With its rich historical context and practical guidance, this book stands as an essential resource, advocating  was a luminary in the nineteenth-century needlework revival, a period which saw an explosion of interest in crafts and domestic arts. Known particularly for her pioneering work in crochet, Riego de la Branchardière is credited with popularizing the lace-like crochet technique known as 'Irish crochet,' which emulated fine Venetian point laces. Her manual 'The Crochet Book, Fourth Series' is one of the many she authored, contributing significantly to the Victorian craft movement. Throughout her works, Eléonore emphasized precision, creativity, and the educational value of needlework. Her books provided clear instructions and patterns that were accessible to a wide audience, enabling the refinement of skills in the comfort of one's home. Not only are her publications of historical interest, but they remain valuable resources to present-day crafters seeking to explore traditional techniques. Riego de la Branchardière's literary style is characterized by its didactic tone and attention to detail, reflecting her dedication to imparting her mastery to others. Though definitive biographical details are sparse, her literary output testifies to an enduring legacy in the fields of crochet and handicrafts, signaling her as a paragon of the Victorian craft movement.
Tatting may have developed from netting and decorative ropework as sailors and fishermen would put together motifs for girlfriends and wives at home. Decorative ropework employed on ships includes techniques (esp. coxcombing) that show striking similarity with tatting. 
Some believe tatting originated over 200 years ago, often citing shuttles seen in 18th-century paintings of women such as Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Princess Marie Adélaïde of France, and Anne, Countess of Albemarle. A close inspection of those paintings, however, shows that the shuttles in question are too large to be tatting shuttles, and that they are actually knotting shuttles. There is no documentation of or examples of tatted lace that dates prior to 1800. All available evidence shows that tatting originated in the early 19th century. However, recent research by Cary Karp demonstrates some potential connections between the two fiber arts. According to Karp, "Knotting and tatting did appear sequentially in the historical record and can reasonably be regarded separately...the demarcation between the structures that characterise knotting, and the central elements of tatting, was not as clear cut as is often maintained."
As most fashion magazines and home economics magazines from the first half of the 20th century attest, tatting had a substantial following. When fashion included feminine touches such as lace collars and cuffs, and inexpensive yet nice baby shower gifts were needed, this creative art flourished. As the fashion moved to a more modern look and technology made lace an easy and inexpensive commodity to purchase, hand-made lace began to decline. Tatting has been used in occupational therapy to keep convalescent patients' hands and minds active during recovery, as documented, for example, in Betty MacDonald's The Plague & I.
And here's aa bit of history that involves my 2nd hometown 
Uses: Tatting is used to create a wide range of items, including edgings for linens, doilies, collars, and jewelry like earrings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, baby stuff, wedding stuff etc. Tatting is fun, it takes us a very small space in your bag, pocket (if you are carrying your shuttles with you, you cant do that with your needles), doesn't require a ton of supplies (shuttle, ball of thread, crochet hook and scissors), it's also the least expensive of all crafts. 

Distinction from Crochet: While both are forms of lacemaking, crochet uses a hook to create loops and stitches, while tatting uses knots and a shuttle. Tatting also tends to produce more durable and intricate lace. 


Resource: 
- Wikipedia 
- Guild of Irish Lace Makers 
    Www.irishlaceguild.com
- www.britannica.com
- Pam Palmer: Tatting (permission to use the page from her Mom's book was given to me by her daughter Sarah Baldock) 

Friday, 4 July 2025

The useful tatting journal 2025

Dear Gentle Reader, 

A tatting journal is a notebook specifically designed for documenting tatting projects, techniques. It typically includes space for recording information about the pattern, materials used, and the finished piece, along with photos and samples. This allows tatters to keep track of their work, revisit successful patterns, and avoid repeating unsuccessful ones, while also noting who received their creations. 

My tatting journal (created in 2020 up to this day) serves as a sample book too and I also keep record of my good threads, that are nicely tucked in the drawers of my storage unit. Every drawer contains a size. I have threads from size 10 up to size 80, these are Lizbeth, cotton threads. This high quality thread is shiny and has a rich and vibrant color. It is super-combed, gas-singed for outstanding body, mercerized, and colorfast. The thread is made with a natural fiber. It's a bit twisty (it's only flaw), however a tatter learns a few tricks of the trade to reduce this twist 😜😁. 
My new discovery are polystyrene threads called C-lon, they are micro cords and they tat up beautifully, especially jewellery. C-lon thread is nylon and you'd need a burner for a clean finish to avoid unravelling. It's strong, thin, waterproof. A dear friend of mine (who is also my tatting teacher 😜) introduced them to me for which I'm eternally grateful. 


Of course there are a rake if other threads besides Lizbeth on the market, but these are my favored ones. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown: 
Purpose:
A tatting journal helps crafters organize their tatting projects, track their progress, and document their creative journey.
Content:
These journals usually include dedicated sections for:
Project Details: Pattern name, designer, materials (thread type, color, quantity), date started/finished.
Notes: Space for jotting down notes on the pattern, any modifications made, or tips for future projects.
Photos: Many journals include space to attach photos or swatches of the finished piece, allowing for visual reference.
Gift Giving: Some journals have sections to record who received the finished piece and their reactions.
Benefits:
By using a tatting journal, crafters can:
Stay Organized: Easily find and reference past projects.
Improve Skills: Learn from past successes and mistakes.
Avoid Duplicates: Keep track of gifts to avoid giving the same item to the same person.
Track Progress: See how their tatting skills have developed over time.
These later information were obtained through Google. 😁😎😜

If you, dear reader, you're a tatter and you'd like to make such a notebook, I shall leave here the link  where my teacher speaks about this useful lil notebooks. Link here 

You can have separate tatting journals, one for shuttle tatting, one for needle tatting, and for samples OR you can make something like I did all-in-one tatting journal. For me this is the best way, because this small notebook, I can pop in my bag with a few patterns, or a tatting book and off I go, I can tat anywhere, anytime 😜📖😁🪡🧶➰➿🧵

All the best,
Happy tatting
Annamaria


Monday, 19 May 2025

Tatting Jewelery - Corina Meyfeldt Earrings 2025

Dear Gentle Reader, 

Tatting is one of the oldest forms of lace making. It can come in many different shapes and forms. Jewellery is one of those tatted articles that are loved by everyone. Who doesn't love dainty, lacy, beaded jewelry? Right??!! ..... Right!!!! 😜😁

All through my tatting adventures (and through the tatting classes I'm signed up for 😜) I came across 2 super cute tatted earring patterns. Grew to love them both. These cute patterns belong to the wonderful tatter and designer called Corina Meyfeldt. She has lots of amazing patterns. 
On her blog Corina says about the "Wave" that  "the pattern is simple, so simple that is is boring. But do not rush while working it. Simple things can punish pretty hard the impatient hand." and goodness me, she was right. Blink and ops Murphy steps in and ruins your project 😜

There's another of her pattern's called "Simple RoR Earrings".  I just adore these 2 patterns. I made loads of each , different colors, different beads. I love these 2 patterns, I can see myself making even more of each one😜

Both are made of rings, there are certain types of joins, and delicious beads and only 1 shuttle or 1 needle.  Both contain techniques that can be challenging, but not impossible to do nor complicated, with a little bit of practice they are all doable. Just remember Corina's words and have as much fun tatting these as I am having. 

Both patterns can be found on her blog here. or on The Online Tatting Class website pattern collection  here and here. , or on The Online Tatting Class YouTube channel here and here.

All the best, 
Happy Tatting 
Annamaria 

Monday, 12 May 2025

My Garden - May 2025

Dear Gentle Reader,

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. May (in Latin, Maius) was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May. 
Wherever I look in my garden everywhere everything is blooming, fruit are forming, plants are growing. My white and pink Clematis Montana is intertwined with the sweet smelling Honeysuckle. Eventually the trio will cover the shed and offer the wildlife a safe haven. Currants, Gooseberries laden with fruit. Raspberries and blackberries soon will open their blooms too. 
The Tamarix is full of flowers too and the Comfrey is open self-service for bumble bees, bees and other polinators that can reach the treasure within. Some bumble bees have long feeding tubes, those have no problems going deep into the flower to find the nectar, but some have short ones, and these are cheeky, because they poke a little hole at the neck of the flower just big enough to reach in and steal the precious dew. Survival skills, 10 out of 10 there. 
Am I seeing things? This is my Clematis "Pixie" who thinks it's an alpaca standing tall in the "wild garden" 😜 and I didn't even try to train the new shoots to look like that at all🤷‍♀️ but I'm glad the way it looks like, and it was absolutely covered with pale lime green flowers. 
Not long now and I'll be tasting the 1st strawberry grown in my big greenhouse in a hanging basket. The grape berries are forming now and from now in they'll get fatter and fatter until ripen. My lower raised bed starts looking like a producing spot with herbs (vinter savory, sage and rocket), lettuce, green kale, stem celery, cauliflowers, spinach and beetroot. These veggies all like lettuce which acts like a good companion plant, and at some point they'll all benefit from eachother. Onion sets, garlic and the radishes are coming up nicely too. 
More stars stepping in the podium today, Viburnum "Snowball" offers now a great display with its snowball like white flowerheads, which will turn into fruit for the birds after thepollination is done. Allium stand tall with their white mop heads, in competition with the blue Kamasias. The dog rose isn't shy at all either, opening its single flowers rich in polen for polinators and pollen lovers. These flowers will turn into Vit C rich fruit, called rosehips that will make a great tea during winter or jam. However mind those pesky thorns, not fun picking them though, but worths every band-aid 😜 The next competitor is the Sweet Rocket.... It is really sweet smelling wonderful flower. In my garden there every single plant, bush and tree is a winner, because all serve a purpose. 

All the best until next time
Anna 





Saturday, 5 April 2025

My Garden - April 2025

Dear Gentle Reader 

And Spring has finally landed, sun is out warming the earth, caressing nature with its warmth. Life started  bursting in my greenhouse too, grapes are showing their bloom bunches already and I still harvest lettuce and spring onions. 
Buds on trees and bushes bursting into flowers and foliage, spring flowers popping up everywhere, adding colour to the greys of winter's design. Not only my garden is bursting with life, fields are full with new born lambs, calves and other baby animals and birds. New year, new season, new life. 
And since this gardener didn't have much time to grow her own seedlings this year, sometimes she has to buy in. Thank goodness for Garden Centres. 
My local Garden Centre is always full of goodies, so yesterday I went there and bought gorgeous Lettuce , York Cabbage and Sprout seedlings. Immediately soaked them in rainwater, the poor darlings were very thirsty looking. They shall be planted next month after the last frost has passed. And speaking of cabbages, I have to mention companion plants, like Tagetes (which camouflages and confuses the pesky Cabbage White Butterfly)
I also got some Tete-a-tete miniature Daffodils (5 bulbs in a pot) and I was splitting them up, to plant them in my flower beds as small clumps, when that little orange bum bumblebee landed on one clump having a drink of the sweet nectar. Last year, in the autumn, I potted up approx 100 snowdrops which came on fabulously this spring giving me a real showcase of early blooms. Now it's time to plant them in green for another showcase next year. Also got some Tulips from Amsterdam (Schipol Airport) and my goodness, what a display they put on with their frills and stripes and mixture of colour. I'm looking forward to next year's display now 😜
And on this happy note, that's all for now....

All the best 
Annamaria 


Friday, 10 January 2025

The Way I Do It 2025 - The Beginnings

Dear Gentle Reader,

This new blog post series will show everyone who are interested in gardening or wish to grow something, methods of sowing, propagating, planting, growing plants I tried and have success with. Some of these methods are based on experience and some on what I've learnt from books/magazines or came to me through gardening programmes. I'll be concentrating on plants that I grow in my garden. It's amazing how many things one can learn from many sources available these days. Most kept secrets of gardening are not secrets anymore 😜. The journey from the pot to the table will be a true adventure. My goal is to pick a plant/a group of plants and step by step or monthly show you how I grow it and take care of it. I promise you if you follow me step by step, post by post you'll be able to grow things even if you were killing your  plants before. Someone told me gardening is all about trowel and error, well...aint that the truth 😜. But don't take my word for it, join in and try growing vegetables, flowers or herbs with me 😜 
The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes 😜 Good luck and enjoy your garden 🍀💐




All the best
Annamaria :) 

Tatting, in a nutshell 2025

Dear Gentle Reader  What is tatting? you may ask... I put all the answers in a little nutshell for you.... Tatting is a type of lacemaking t...