Learning to tat

Tatting is a way of making a durable lace by knots. I first saw it being done about a year ago and decided then to learn, but I have so many projects going that it took until now before something actually happened.

The lace is made by the use of a small shuttle about 2 inches long. The yarn used is crochet thread, rather thin. Apparently I use thinner thread than is recommended for beginners according to my book. My original idea was to learn it and apply it on thicker yarn to make lacy looking edges for my knit work.

I have a book (with a DVD which I haven't looked at), and I decided initially to follow the steps to learn ("classes") in the book. However Class 1 meant making a foot or two of spiraling string (to learn the stitches properly). After a few inches I got bored. 

From left, attempt #1, 2, 3 and 4

Class 2 showed how to make a circle, then there was a project. This I skipped, and used the circle technique to make a small blue butterfly inspired by a photo on the back of the book. I also added picots from the explanation of Deliana from way back when she first showed me what she was doing  (incidentally, the first time I met her). 

Class 3 I think was actually making a butterfly so that I had already done. I started flipping randomly through the book, on the opinion that I already understood the basic techniques, and started making stuff from the pictures without looking at the explanations. Thus two strings of lace started coming into appearance, the first one simple and mostly meant to test connecting the circles, the second one will if I continue turn into a small circle which could decorate a card or something. 

This is the way I usually learn things. Hubris.