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Irina asked, “I am taking your suggestion to buy my first shuttle by david reed smith, but need guidance as to the correct size and your best suggestion for beginners. (i see some had other features i have no idea what they are for). i am primarily interested in doing doilies, linens, and jewelery, so i hope this will guide you in your recommendations.”
I’m sure you’ll be happy with any shuttle from David, but here are my suggestions. For a beginner, I recommend one without a spike. Until you’re pretty comfortable with your tatting hand motions, a spike will probably poke you a lot. Plus, you don’t really need one if you have a crochet hook or tapestry needle or similar to make joins and pick out any mistaken stitches—that’s all the pointy bit is for anyway.
As far as size, if you consider you have fairly average sized hands for a woman, then a 2.5″ or 2.75″ shuttle will probably fit you best. Order a smaller or bigger one if your hands are a bit smaller or bigger, and probably a bit bigger if you are a man.
From left to right: David Reed Smith's purpleheart wood, Lacis, Clover, Boye metal with bobbin.
If you are also looking for brand ideas, David Reed Smith makes some great shuttles, and there are several other good options. Lacis, Clover and Aero make some decent plastic shuttles that I recommend for beginners because they are very inexpensive.
Plastic shuttles have the added advantage of being easy to bling out. Decoromana and Lace Lovin’ Librarian both have handy tutorials on how to make your shuttles pretty.
Some shuttles have bobbins in the middle but most do not. Aero makes bobbin shuttles which are quite useable, but the metal Boye bobbin shuttles I recommend against for beginners. Maybe others have had better success with these, but I find the bobbin unwinds too much and at the wrong times, and the thread gets caught frequently between the bobbin and the shaft.
There are many other great shuttle makers out there and I encourage you try a few.
What are your questions? Email them to me or leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them as well as I can.
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I am knew to tatting, but have wanted to try it for a long time. When I worked at a nursing home I watched a lady tat. But seeing as how I was working I could not just sit down and watch her. She is the only person I have ever seen tat. I am interested in knowing sites that may teach me how to learn this art. What shuttle to buy. Our local material shop only carries the same plastic tatting shuttles. Thank you for your time.
Dawn
Plastic shuttles are best for me. I learned to tat 30 years ago and I have had both plastic and metal, both with hooks and without. I am so glad that I bought 12 red boye shuttles years ago. I like them best and tat fastest with them. Tatting is NOT hard. It is easier than crocheting and it is treasured by those I give doilies and bookmarks to. I even did lace for my daughters wedding dress. I’m trying to find these red shuttles so I can teach some ladies to tat.
I hope to make a video of instructions soon.
Annie’s catalog has a new video class that is 24.95. At times they run specials that reduce the class fees, so u just need to watch for the codes by checking the site from time 2time. They just had one so it may be a week before they run the special again. Also once purchased u can watch the video over and over at any time . It never needs to be repurchased. The lady that teaches it learned from her early grandparent to mom etc. Check it out. I found it by learning to quilt class, Good Luck. Dori
Now I am back to tatting. I want to learn how to tat with the shuttle. Thanks to google plus found this site. Dori
found my grandmothers shuttle at the bottom of my sewing basket..what do I do with it?
Jane, here are a few options:
Hang it on your Christmas tree as a decoration.
Put it in a frame with a picture of your grandmother for a memorial.
Paint it gray and glue on whiskers, to use as a cat toy.
Stick it right back where you found it to collect dust.
Give it to your father-in-law to use as fishing tackle.
Put on a chain and wear as a necklace.
Or, you know, you could always learn how to use it to tat. Check out my videos under the tab “Learn Tatting.”
Hilarious 🙂
I think that I’ll want to get a wooden shuttle. If I bring a plastic one into my house it’ll probably get stepped on and broken, and I just don’t really want a metal one, so wooden it is. Does anyone know of any good brands on Ebay or something? Thanks, -Olivia
Hi,
On a whim, I decided I wanted to learn to tat. I know how to crochet, have tried and can’t get the hang of knitting, so tatting was next to try. I found your website by doing a google search on learning to tat. I LOVE IT!!! It is very informative and easy to follow, especially for a doer, not a reader, like me!! 🙂
I very enthusiastically went online and found some really pretty wooden shuttles and promptly bought them. I was very excited when I got them in the mail. One of them is not closed at the ends so the thread doesn’t stay in it, and the other one, the ends are so tightly closed, that I can’t get the thread in it! Do you have any suggestions on how I can fix my shuttles. They really are very pretty and I don’t want to just scrap them if I can help it.
Thanks,
Dawn Johnson
I have used the metal shuttles for many years for tatting lace for smocked baby dresses and children’s clothes and taught myself to tat many years ago through books I borrowed from the library but here’s my problem: I want to know if anyone else has had the problem I have had (occasionally) with dark spots caused by the thread getting caught between the shuttle bobbin and the shuttle and leaving a dark metal spot on the thread and this makes a dirty spot in your lace. After reading some of the posted comments I am wondering if this could be due to overfilling of the bobbin. I would love to hear any suggestions you have. Thanks!
The metal shuttles with the bobbins do cause a problem, I try ever few days to just take a damp cloth and take the bobbin out and wipe the bobbin clean as well as inside the shuttle, and it can cause problems if you load too much thread on the bobbin, I usually wind it just to the edge of the bobbin. hope this works, I really rather enjoy the metal shuttles and there are some strange things to enjure with them. but it is still worth it to me. Carole
I have 3 shuttles: the plastic with the hook, the plain plastic with the pointed tip and the metal with the bobbin. I’m having a hard time holding on to the shuttle. Do they work better if they are a little “rough”, and how does one go about “roughing” them up?
Thanks!
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Do you use different size shuttles with different size thread?
The metal shuttles originally had three holes in the top and bottom. The thread is run through one of these holes before you begin tatting. This helps with tension and helps keep the thread from getting caught between the bobbin and the to or bottom blades of the shuttle.