Help with Needle Tatting Please - Fleurette Necklace

[Frivole]

Inspired by Angeleyes and DreaminSymmetry's versions of TotusMel's fleurette necklace, I decided to have another go at needle tatting and attempt this necklace too. I don't like using size 10 with shuttles and I thought it might be easier with a needle.

I am completely inexperienced with needle tatting and I have a question for those in the know: why is it that the thread twists so much when I pull it through (especially on those long spiral chains)? I find this quite difficult to manage and end up in a tangle of threads which I find slightly discouraging! HELP!



I'm still pleased with how the necklace turned out but I would like to know how to do it more easily... I thought maybe it was the thread but I tried it both with Lizbeth and DMC and had the same problem. The thread coming off the ball got really twisted too as I worked and I kept having to stop to untwist it - is that normal?

Thanks for your help!

[Ireneho]

I never have to untwist my thread. Are you making the stitches a different way?

[britinpa]

Your necklace turned out really well. I never have a problem with the ball thread, but if the core thread (needle thread) is quite long it can get twisted quite easily. I usually have to tension it, while pulling through slowly, until it becomes shorter and more manageable. Having said that, I still do get tangled thread and have to undo a knot here and there on most of my projects

[TotusMel]

The reason it twists is because the spiral chain stitch goes in only one direction rather than the regular ds which goes both ways. I've gotten used to it when working them, usually having the ball in a baggie helps, but sometimes I just take a minute, hold the ball up and let the piece spin free until it works itself out.

[Frivole]

Thank you! Help from the pattern's author, that's great! Glad to know I wasn't doing anything wrong. I've now remade this with shuttles and it works well too. I thought those long chains would be easier with a needle but found they were fine with the shuttle too... one thing that's interesting though, you use the first half of the ds on the needle but the second half of the ds with shuttles work best for that spiral chain.

[Judy]

you use the first half of the ds on the needle but the second half of the ds with shuttles work best for that spiral chain.

What an interesting observation!

[janet6567]

Wow, this turned out so pretty! But your work is always so lovely. . .it gives us inexperienced tatters something to aspire to!

[xstchntat]

Also if you try and it spins and tangles try the other half stitch with the needle. For example if you use the first half and it twists too much try the second half and it may not twist as much making for less tangles. Alot of it depends on the natural twist in the thread from manufacture so if you find which half works for the brand of thread mark it on the inside of the ball for the next time.

[BlueDode]

I've had some bad tangling / snarling / kinking problems when using a ball of size 20 Lizbeth: tamed the mess with thread conditioner "Thread Heaven" -- search InTatters and you will find many posts singing the praises of this product.

To reduce snarling thread, try "walking the thread off the ball" rather than unwinding it off the top of the ball -- unwinding adds twist to the thread. This is the other half of the story from "walking the thread onto the shuttle" instead of winding it on, which adds twist.

In shuttle tatting, you can hold the work up and let the shuttle thread hang in the air to get it untwisted: in needle tatting you might have to put the needle and the tatting into a plastic bag and suspend it from the ball thread to let it unwind--not handy, but possible.

Working with thread without adding twist to it produces more uniform appearing tatting in most cases IMHO -- see if you agree or not.

Handy Hands now sells a product amounting to a thread holder that accepts a ball of Lizbeth: put it on the post in the middle of the clamsheel and let the thread pass through the hole between the clamshells. This facilitates "walking" the thread off the ball.

Enjoy your necklace -- it is beautiful!