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Last Modified:
10/17/00 10:32 PM

Tatting - A Lost Art?

Cluny Medallion, tatted by me. Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns by Monica Hahn

Tatting is KNOT a lost art!! Now that we've got THAT straight <grin>...

While looking for tatting supplies or when someone sees me tatting, I often get the standard exclamation, "Are you tatting?? Boy, is THAT a LOST ART!"

NOT!!

At first, the "lost art" comment didn't bother me to hear that. Tatting is very much alive - and thriving! Below are three very large, active email discussion groups just about tatting:

• e-tatters - sort of a "technical" list for tatting.
• TatChat - tatters chatting about anything, not necessarily tatting.
• Rings_n_Chains - another friendly tatting group.

What is tatting, anyway?

Aside from those that actually know how to tat, very few know what it is and can correctly identify it when they see it. Simply stated, tatting is a genre of lace-making, accomplished by using one of two different instruments: one or more tatting needles or tatting shuttles. These are loaded with thread and used to create a series of double stitches, a knot comprised of two half-hitches of opposite direction. These double stitches form the rings and chains which are joined together into infinite numbers of patterns, creating very lovely and unusual designs. Tatting looks extremely intricate and difficult, but once the basic knot is mastered, it's really quite easy.

So... Why is tatting so misunderstood?

Sadly, many people have never seen a piece of tatted lace before, and have the misconception that tatting is just a general word for any one of the various types of intricate, lacy embellishments. This is just not correct. Tatting is a very unique genre of lace-making in itself.

I believe the reason tatting is so misunderstood is because it is a *VERY* time-consuming "needle-art". It takes hours to create just the smallest piece of lace, and literally hundreds of hours - or even years - to make something as large as a table covering. Because of the time involved in creating tatted lace, it's just not common to see many finished pieces. These beautiful gems tend to be cherished and kept as family heirlooms. Tatted pieces are probably the most under-valued of all the handcrafts, as far as time spent in creation is concerned.

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