Tatting is a beautiful form of handcraft that involves creating intricate patterns using a series of knots and loops. It can be used to make elegant lace, doilies, scarves, and more. If you’re interested in learning how to tat, follow these 15 steps to get started!

1. Gather your materials: You will need tatting needles or a shuttle, tatting thread (size 10 or 20 works well for beginners), and a pair of small scissors. Optionally, you can also use a crochet hook to help with joining.

2. Choose your tool: Decide whether you want to learn needle tatting or shuttle tatting. Needle tatting is generally easier for beginners, while shuttle tatting allows for faster work once you’ve mastered the technique.

3. Learn basic terminology: Familiarize yourself with terms such as picot, join, ring, and chain as they apply to tatting.

4. Practice your knots: Tatting is all about making double-stitches (DS). To create a DS, first make a half-stitch by passing the thread over the needle/shuttle and under it again. Then, make another half-stitch in reverse (thread goes under and over).

5. Create picots: Picots are small loops used for decoration and joining elements together. To make a picot, leave some space between the two double stitches before you tighten your knot.

6. Form rings: Rings are closed loops made from several double stitches and picots. To make one, start by making a few double stitches with picots between them as desired. Then, slide the stitches off the needle/shuttle onto the thread and pull tight to close the loop.

7. Create chains: Chains are an open series of double stitches with occasional picots. To make one in needle tatting, use both your needle and ball threads. For shuttle tatting, use the shuttle and ball threads, but keep the ring thread taut to prevent forming unwanted rings.

8. Understand proper needle handling: Hold your needle like a pencil-your index and middle fingers should control while your other fingers provide support.

9. Find a comfortable shuttle grip: For shuttle tatting, experiment with different methods of holding the shuttle until you find a comfortable grip.

10. Practice joining: Joining rings and chains is crucial in tatting. To join, bring the next element close to the previous one so that their picots touch. Insert your crochet hook or fingers through the picot loops, then gently pull your working thread through.

11. Learn about frontside and backside tatting: The front side of your work will usually show smoother stitches, while the back side will have bumps. Pick a side as your “right” side and flip your work accordingly.

12. Study patterns: Once you’re comfortable with basic stitches, start studying tatting patterns. Beginner patterns can be found online or in instructional books.

13. Test out different types of threads: Experiment with different thread sizes and materials to see which one works best for you- cotton, silk or synthetic-made fibers have varying characteristics that may affect your work.

14. Learn advanced techniques: As you progress, learn advanced tatting techniques such as split rings, mock rings, balloon joins, and block tatting.

15. Share your work: Show off your new skills! Share pictures of your finished projects on social media or with fellow tatters to receive feedback and inspiration.

By following these 15 steps, you’ll be well on your way to discovering the art of tatting. Be patient with yourself, practice often, and enjoy this rewarding craft!