curious-

[Krystledawne]

I wonder, which way do most of you have the thread coming off the shuttle? off the back or the front? Or I could say it this way, do you wind the thread on clockwise or counterclockwise?

[Lynn]

I hold my shuttle with the thread coming from the back.

[Imoshen]

I also have it come from the back clockwise. This makes it easier for me to control tension.

[AnneB]

Clockwise or couterclockwise is not important for me. The important part is that the thread is leaving the suttle on the right hand side of the shuttle - for an easy grasp with the fingers not holding the shuttle.

[Liyarra]

Clover shuttle - point facing towards me with thread coming from bottom right of shuttle

[BlueDode]

Handedness makes a difference in clockwise vs counterclockwise shuttle winding:

I normally tat right-handed; looking down at the top of the shuttle (I use Clover shuttles with a point, so there is a "top": it is the side with the point) I wrap the thread counter-clockwise; if I'm tatting left-handed, for teaching purposes, I wind the shuttle clockwise.

As I hold either shuttle in the appropriate hand, the thread comes off the back side of the shuttle (opposite the point), and comes off the far side of the shuttle, away from me. (If I haven't gone dislexic: left/right clockwise/counterclockwise baffle me me sometimes....

I've seen books showing the the opposite, and some of you do it that way, but it seems awkward for me. I wonder if our preference has something to do with how we lift the shuttle thread to make the first half of the double stitch? I lift the thread with my pinkie finger....

[Susan B T]

I have the the thread coming off the back side as I tat....
With a point on the shuttle , the point is aways on top, Jab my hand less.

Another thing to think about is the thread twist......Sometimes the twist of the thread makes a difference...the tighter the twist the less you will have to drop the shuttle and let it it unwind. If you have a bad problem with this you should wind the thread on something else and then onto the shuttle.

Think about sewing thread.. when I do hand sewing, I pull a length off the spool the spool end gets threaded and the first end gets the knot. Less twisting as I sew. Same with tatting.

[PattyD]

I HAVE TO have the thread clockwise and coming out the right from the top! I think my brain can't handle anything else. A couple of weeks ago I loaded a shuttle FULL with size 80 and only after I was done did I realize that it was wound backwards.... groan. I gamely attempted to tat with it, but it was NOT a happy thing to do. I had to unwind the shuttle and rewind it correctly. Flat drove me crazy.

[Krystledawne]

I HAVE TO have the thread clockwise and coming out the right from the top! I think my brain can't handle anything else. A couple of weeks ago I loaded a shuttle FULL with size 80 and only after I was done did I realize that it was wound backwards.... groan. I gamely attempted to tat with it, but it was NOT a happy thing to do. I had to unwind the shuttle and rewind it correctly. Flat drove me crazy.

Aha! Someone who does it like me! I'm not the only wierdo :-)

I was curious mostly because I think when I picked up tating again recently I just wound the first shuttle without thinking about it, and now I can't do it any other way.

[Marty]

Unless I'm misunderstanding what everyone said, I don't do it like any of you. My thread is wound so it comes out the top on the left side of the shuttle. Like so:47

[PattyD]

Unless I'm misunderstanding what everyone said, I don't do it like any of you. My thread is wound so it comes out the top on the left side of the shuttle. Like so:47

Yup! Exactly what drove me bonkers! You say ToMAAto and I say tamata.....

[jenO]

my thread comes off the back left side of the shuttle. with the hook in front.

[Krystledawne]

Unless I'm misunderstanding what everyone said, I don't do it like any of you. My thread is wound so it comes out the top on the left side of the shuttle. Like so:47

That is different! My way would be a mirror image of your diagram.

[Jon Yusoff]

I use post shuttles and my thread comes out from the lower part away from me. I am right-handed and I wind my shuttles anti-clockwise with the pick of the shuttle facing up.

I have bobbin shuttles, with hooks, but I seldom use it. Until now I am still not comfortable holding a bobbin shuttle. I don't know which side the thread should come out from and which side the hook should be facing. - that is why I seldom use it. :ermm:

[Susan B T]

There is no rule as to which side the thread comes out or off....
Just try both ways and which ever one is comfortable for you......:thmbup:


.....

I have bobbin shuttles, with hooks, but I seldom use it. Until now I am still not comfortable holding a bobbin shuttle. I don't know which side the thread should come out from and which side the hook should be facing. - that is why I seldom use it. :ermm:

[Lynn]

LOL this thread proves once again that tatting is quite forgiving when it comes to technique. The thread doesn't care where it comes from, as long as it gets to make stitches, in the same way that the stitches don't much care how they are formed, as long as they are true double stitches that will slide on the core thread. The point is, TAT ON. However you do it, however you've heard it should be done, and however long it takes, just TAT. The End. Or is that the beginning?

[Krystledawne]

LOL this thread proves once again that tatting is quite forgiving when it comes to technique. The thread doesn't care where it comes from, as long as it gets to make stitches, in the same way that the stitches don't much care how they are formed, as long as they are true double stitches that will slide on the core thread. The point is, TAT ON. However you do it, however you've heard it should be done, and however long it takes, just TAT. The End. Or is that the beginning?
:woohoo2::woohoo2::woohoo2::woohoo2:

[Tammy]

If I have to stop and think about which way I'm walking my thread onto the shuttle I would go nuts. I just get it on there and tat. Sometimes it comes off the top left, sometimes the top right, sometimes the bottom right or yep sometimes the bottom left. For me it doesn't matter I never hold my shuttle correctly except when teaching the rest of the time that baby is just there to get the thread where I want it. LOL :tongue:

[Marty]

Isn't it interesting how many ways there are to accomplish the same thing?