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Page #3 - The First Half of the Stitch

The tatting stitch, called the "double stitch" is done in two halves, each the inverse of the other. It is a simple movement, but it incorporates a tricky "flip" that makes the stitch work. If you don't "flip" the threads, which in turn transfers the knot, the stitch will not slide freely on the thread and you will not be able to manipulate the tatting correctly.


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Still holding the pinch, and letting the dark-threaded shuttle hang, pick up the light-threaded shuttle in your working shuttle hand. alt text
Using your middle finger, catch up the light thread off the shuttle and hold it up, out of the way. alt text
Insert the shuttle THROUGH - that is to say UNDERNEATH the dark thread wound around your hand. ...Still holding the light thread up and out of the way. alt text
Once the shuttle has been pushed completely through, back it up and pull it OVER the dark thread, and UNDERNEATH the light threa on your middle finger. alt text
Pull the shuttle back to it's starting position. You can see the the light "shuttle thread" thread is loosely wrapped around the dark "hand thread" alt text
Here I've taken up the slack, and again the light "shuttle thread" is still twisted around the dark "hand thread" alt text
Close-up...At this point, you have had your "hand thread" pretty tight. As you pull the yellow "shuttle thread" tighter, you must loosen your hand thread to allow the twist to reverse. alt text
Loosen your left hand and pull the shuttle thread tight....FLIP! alt text
As you can see here, the thread has flipped so that the dark "hand thread" is now wrapped around the light "shuttle thread" alt text
Allow this little twist to slide down to the knot in "the pinch" by pulling the light-threaded shuttle. Hold onto this half stitch in the pinch. alt text

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