What Is a Tatting Shuttle?

Tatting is a needlecraft that turns simple thread into lace edging, doilies, collars and other decorative pieces. The craft can be done using nothing more than a needle and thread; many tatters, however, prefer to use a tool called a tatting shuttle to create their beautiful and delicate pieces of lace work.

Identification

A tatting shuttle is an oval device, usually around 3 inches in length, that tatters use to make lace. In most cases, it consists of 2 flat oval "handles" with a post or bobbin in between. The tatting shuttle can be made of plastic, metal, bone, ivory or any other hard material. It will usually have a point at 1 end and sometimes it will have a hook. The tatter wraps a length of thread around the bobbin or post in the center of the shuttle and uses it to tie a series of half-hitch knots over a core thread.

Function

Tatted lace looks complex and difficult to make but, according to skilled tatters, it's nothing more than a series of knots pulled into chains and rings and connected to each other in a specific way to create a particular piece. Some tatters call the knot a half-hitch, some call it a lark's head knot. Either way, the tatter winds thread around her shuttle and uses the shuttle to carry the thread back and forth around her core thread (held in her other hand), pulling the shuttle thread tight after each course. She wraps the core thread around her hand and continues to work around it until it is of sufficient length; she pulls it tight to make a ring.

History

Tatted lace began to appear in the early 1800s and it became especially popular as a decorative embellishment during the Victorian era. In the late 1800s, a tatting shuttle was a common tool in many households in the United States, particularly in Southern states. Not long after the turn of the 20th century, tatted lace and tatting began to fall out of popularity. Many modern tatters learned the craft from a grandmother or great aunt and they're happy to share their knowledge with new learners.

Collectible Shuttles

Unique tatting shuttles have become collectible items today. Most modern tatting shuttles are made of plastic, but you will find older ones in a variety of materials. For example, once upon a time, tortoise shell was a popular material for tatting shuttles. Collectors look for shuttles of silver, hardwood, bone and ivory. Regardless of their monetary value, collectors seem especially to prize those shuttles that have a story to tell.

Shuttles in General

The word "shuttle" suggests some type of "go out and come back" activity. In textile weaving and sewing, a shuttle is that part of the mechanical equipment that carries thread back and forth (or up and down) on a loom or a sewing machine. In the world of transportation, the airport shuttle takes travelers from the airport to their hotel and eventually back to the airport; the Space Shuttle travels from earth to destinations in space and back. A shuttle used for tatting serves much the same purpose as it carries thread out around the core thread and brings it back to its starting position.

Resources

• Videos that Demonstrate Tatting Shuttles in Action