Tension question

[CreatingMeUK]

I apologise in advance if this question makes very little sense.

I am a shuttle tatter (I rather like saying that!) but I have noticed over the last couple of pieces that my tension is a bit... shall we say, all over the place?!

I know that generally I need to be tatting a little tighter but I am struggling to find a comfortable way to hold the non-shuttle thread or the ring around my left hand that is consistent. So I was wondering if people in the group would be able to either describe how they hold the thread or point me in the direction of pictures or video that shows that part of the process so I can compare differences to how I hold my thread. (most videos seem to concentrate on where the knot is happening rather than the whole hand.)

Thank you for any help in advance.

[soyloquesoy]

I just read you question at ravelry too! I love your ravatar! (and your screen name here, and I had a glimpse of your blog and loved the attitude!)

So, welcome to InTatters! I am answering here b/c I thing the brainstorming will be livelier here than there :-)

I can't think of a video to show specially what you want, but I am not sure that is the best way to improve your tension. I think your tension will improve once you find "your rythm" for moving the shuttle - once you get more "fluent", so to speak, you will automatically have more consistent tension - and then, you can begin to tweak it.

I think one thing to keep in mind is that the tension in tatting is determined *after the flip*, ie. you do not need t have a consistent tension in your thread as you hold it, b/c you will be relaxing it and making it tense with each stitch! What you do have keep in mind is that once the stitch is formed, it should not change (PattyD told me something like "make the stitch where you want it to live" when I was starting and it was an a-ha moment for me). So, be careful after each stitch, if they are too loose, they won't change afterwards!

Hm, I am afraid I am rambling... hope that helps a bit!

[Loretta]

I have problems with tension when making chains. I found that my little pinky, where you normally would wrap the thread to secure it, is too short. I have to wrap around the ring finger and then I kind of pinch the ring finger to the thumb to help hold the thread. I do the "slip and slide" method. Have just found that the method in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3swn...8&feature=plcp. I found tatting the chains are easier with this technique (I do not know the name of this).

[BlueDode]

"tension" has several components, and desired tension varies depending on the fiber and the nature of the piece, at least from my point of view.

That said, there is something to be said for maintaining consistency in a given project. Practice helps: consistency is good goal.

In winter months, when my hands are dry, I have to make more wraps around my fingers to keep tension on the thread in the non-shuttle hand: usually I wrap my pinky / little finger 1-3 times, and weave the ball thread. Summer hands are more moist and I need fewer wraps.

Perle cotton: I tat this relatively loosely or I can't "untat" it at all -- the nature of the fiber dictates a loose tension for me: if I can't untat, I can't tat.
Tatting thread: 6 ply, high twist: lends itself to firmer tension (and firmer results).
Crochet cottons: low twist, thread diameter varies a bit: tatted work (at least mine) tends to look uneven: this is dictated by the unevenness of the crochet cotton (some are "worse" than others) and the most consistent tension may look somewhat uneven. A thread inconsistency issue, not a tension problem of consistent tension.
Microfiber -- the ones I've used -- tends to be "sticky" and tends not to slide well: it is difficult for me to tat with some of these threads that won't slide well against each other.

[PattyD]

Bluedode just gave me an idea. What about wrapping your pinkie finger with a piece of bandage tape? It might give you more traction and control.

[Lynn]

First and foremost, welcome to InTatters, CreatingMe. It is always a delight to learn of another tatter in the world.

Your query is a very good one, and needs to be answered as many different ways as possible.
Ultimately, the only way to really master tension is through lots and lots of practice. So, keep tatting with as many different threads as you can manage.

Do you do any other fiber/thread crafts? That may influence how you hold your fingers and tension your thread. Some people like to wind the ball thread around their pinky or ring finger, as mentioned above. But I crocheted for many years before discovering tatting, so that is a more comfortable way for me to hold my thread. When using the slip and slide method, I wrap the thread around my pinky in a clockwise direction once or twice, depending on the size of the thread and the ambient humidity (which affects how smoothly thread will slide over your fingers), then take the thread under my ring finger, over the top of my index finger and then into my pinch between pointer finger and thumb. This position means that I can tighten my pinky and ring fingers to apply tension, or relax them to allow more thread into my pinch at will. There's no wrapping and unwrapping of the ball thread as I tat, just a nice, even progression of thread from the ball into my pinch. (BTW, this is also how I tension thread and yarn when knitting, since I started using the Continental Method.) However, many people, particularly folks who do not crochet, find this tension method ineffective, or worse, uncomfortable.
Each tatter should practice a few stitches with whatever method seems to feel right in their hands, then choose the one that is the most comfortable and gives the best overall tension. After that, it's a matter of practice, practice, practice.

One more thing. Make sure that the length of working thread in your left hand is not too long. Or too short, for that matter. Keeping this working thread a comfortable length between your fingers will greatly help your tension. This length is as individual as each tatter, since we all have different size hands. A good rule of thumb is that there should be enough room for the shuttle to move comfortably between your fingers, but not so much as to cause the hand to cramp or the thread to sag. When you lift your index finger to bring the stitch into position, the thread needs to be just the right length for your hand to manage.

All that I've said assumes that you use the slip and slide method. If you prefer to try the sewing machine method, as demonstrated in the above video link, then you'll still want a comfortable distance between your fingers. Another of our members, Karen Cabrera, has a good video here. You'll be pleased with how the video shows her whole hand. It is worth noting that the first video demonstrates making the stitch beginning with the second half, whereas Karen's video begins with the first half.

Another member, Linda S. Davies, has an excellent video of the slip and slide method here. She is demonstrating how to do the flip, but I think you'll find her hand positions easy to understand and follow. She also demonstrates her particular method of wrapping the thread.

So, keep practicing. And do let us know of any other way we can help out. We're open 24/7 and always welcome any and all questions. There are no silly questions. If you need to know, then you need to ask.

[Ireneho]

If u do crochet, u can hold the non shuttle thread the same way. The 2 differences are you don't loop the thread over that finger twice, like u do in crochet and U just move your finger up and down to flip the stitches.

[GraceT]

Loretta, the video link you have is for the Riego method (that we've recently been discussing in another thread).

I'm finding this discussion very helpful. Tensioning the thread when doing chains is one of my big problems.

[Loretta]

Love the information that is given on this site, Thanks to all who comment!

[stringydogs]

In the FWIW Catigory:

I can't hold the non-shuttle thread like I do crocheting. That hold allows too much slip for me. So, I wrap the end toward the ball around my pinky a couple of times then do a 1/2 ds on my pinky. (Appropriate, no?) This allows total control of the tension on the thread. It can also cut off circulation. So, moving and loosening are needed steps.

Otherwise, I hold the left hand much as if I had a tennis ball in it. My index finger does the flipping and tensioning.

In the long run, what works best for you is the right way to do it.