Tools of the trade

I was going to show you a little pictorial of how I make the adjustable closure for the wheat bracelet, but then I realised that most of my photos were fuzzy and not even worth trying to sharpen. Hmm, another reason for my husband and friends to try and convince me to change my phone. A 360 view of the bracelet, now that's an idea!

I will instead talk a bit about the various tools that are basic for me and also some that I really can't work with.


Shuttles

I love my bobbin shuttles. I have four of them (I don't feel I need any more) and each came with two bobbins. I cut off the crochet hook because it was too big for my usual thread and decorated them with tissue paper.

The one on the left has a traditional Romanian motif on it.

I have recently bought a pair of post shuttles but I simply can't work with them. The tips needed to be coerced to stay together (that is actually a design flaw) and the point is too thick to poke through my VSPs (very small picots heh). I am also not used to not being able to adjust the thread position and length quickly. Even if I do find better quality post shuttles, I'm pretty sure I won't get any... they're not for me. Maybe a flat shuttle at most.

Trying to join that picot... Where is the crochet hook?

Crochet hooks

Since I neutered my shuttles, the only way to join would be using a crochet hook. My first one is actually a lot older than me and was used by my grandmother. It looks like the wooden handle was once broken, then attached to an empty pen case with a heat shrink tube. Pretty ingenious, and it also has a cap that way! I feel honoured to use a tool that has produced a lot of lovely items.

The old crochet hook is being put to good use again.

I have since bought myself another crochet hook in a larger size, to work with thicker yarn.


Good even needles

Back when I was needle tatting, I accumulated a real collection of even needles with narrow eyes. I don't use them all anymore, but I keep two sets of short darners in my working "basket" (it is actually a bag) for hiding ends. Having good needles really helps not distort the tatting too much. Here in Romania, Milward is the best brand I could find.


Pliers

You might wonder what I need pliers for while tatting. I got into the habit of using them ever since my needle tatting days. Sometimes, my knots would be so tight on the needle, that they wouldn't slide past the eye anymore, so I would hold onto the needle with the pliers to get a good grip on it while sliding the knots. Before that, I was the bride with the most worn fingers, but that is a story for another time.

Now I use the pliers when hiding ends (I use the whip stitch method). My tatting is quite tight, so I grab the needle with the pliers to pull it through the little knot caps when it gets stuck.

A real finger saver.

The big eye needle

I use a lot of seed beads for making tatted jewellery and the big eye needle is invaluable for stringing beads. You open it, secure the thread end to one tip and rummage in the bead bag with the other end, letting beads catch on the pointy end. The principle is the same as for a needle threader.

It is 10cm long. Lots of beads can fit on that.

I won't even mention the pair of scissors (actually nail scissors, with very narrow and sharp tips), measuring tape and other doodads that are really quite common. If I haven't bored you already, next time I hope to share my limited experience with a few types of thread.

PS. I do a lot of my tatting at home on top of my laptop keyboard, so that is why you see so much of it. It is useful for keeping the tatting dog hair free but it's no fun when seed beads fall between the keys!