What if...

What if... I could untat a ring without opening it? It sounds like a "hack" video title on "yee olde tube".

Before I start complaining about the ridiculous use of the word hack nowadays, let me give you some context.

I have been making small fish and sea animals to sew onto a tiny curtain. Working on a small item, I didn't load much thread on my shuttles.

I closed a ring and noticed a mistake right afterwards. Just like looking before crossing a street, we should also look before closing a ring, but I forgot.

So I pondered for a moment. What if? And indeed, I did it. Noticing I had only a little thread left on my shuttle, I unwound it and untatted it from the last stitch up to my mistake. I then wound my shuttle again, ready to get back to work.

Such a simple solution! I of course felt so proud, I stopped to take pictures of it. As if I was supposed to prove to someone that I had done it. Here they are (in case you did not believe me):

A few stitches have already been untatted

All done untatting and ready to retat!

You might recognise Jane Eborall's starfish. She has lots of cute animal patterns.

I was quite beyond myself with joy at discovering this fancy new trick. And you might say "But this is not a new trick. I have been doing it for years." Well, it's new for me, so I was happy for discovering it.

So happy in fact, that after getting photographic evidence and boasting to my husband (who just said "that's nice, dear"), I happily retat the rest of my ring.

... Only to notice after closing it (forgot to look before closing again) that I had made another mistake in the same ring. Good thing I had just discovered that neat trick, huh?

And just to prove to myself that practice makes perfect, I managed to make another mistake on a ring shortly after that!

I guess I learned how to untat a ring without opening it, but what about learning to look before closing a ring?

PS. As a bonus, chains can also benefit from a short thread on the shuttle. I find the spot from where I want to untat, unwind the shuttle, then pick at the core thread and pull it out of the stitches.