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How to tat with a needle


In needle tatting what you are making are a series of lark head knots on the needle.


To make the basic ‘knot’ or double stitch first thread the needle. Hold the needle firmly between the thumb, forefinger and middle finger on your right hand. You also need to hold onto the thread. This is after leaving a length of thread. This is the thread that is pulled through the double stitches on the needle to make the chains and rings. You need a sufficient amount of ‘needle thread’ to make a number of rings and chains. It is advisable to have the ‘needle thread’ not longer that say 50 - 60cm.







You are ready to make your double stitch. Unwind some of the thread on the ball. Passing the thread over the left forefinger from front to back and hold firmly onto the thread.

Twist the needle in front of the top thread. Hook backwards to form a half hitch on the needle.






Take the ball thread from the back to the front on the left hand and hook the back thread with the needle to form the other half of the stitch. You should have a larks head knot on your needle.

It is important to maintain a reasonable tension. Too tight a tension will cause you problems when pulling the needle through the stitches. Neither do you want a slack tension.




Picots are made by leaving gaps between double stitches on the needle.




Once you have made enough stitches on the needle pull the needle and thread through the stitches on the needle holding onto the stitches with your left hand. Do not pull to tight.

To make a ring you need to pass the needle through the loop which is formed at the bottom of the stitches on the needle thread. After you have gathered the stitches to form a ring, knot the needle and ball threads together to secure.




To make a chain you do not thread the needle through the loop instead pull the thread through the stitches and let the stitches form a chain. You still want to make a knot at the end to secure the chain.                                             

 

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