New Tatting

There seems to be a growing interest in lace lately. Knit, crochet, bobbin lace, doilies—on-line crafting communities have been fanning a subtle buzz.

Tatting is a means of creating lace by looping threads together using tiny shuttles and one’s fingers (with occasional help from a crochet hook.) It creates dainty chains and edgings as well as single motifs, and is used to edge and decorate textiles and clothing, as jewelry, or as large-scale lace projects in itself. Once relegated to the attic and vintage handkerchiefs, tatting is getting new respect in the crafting world as people discover its traditional beauty while giving it a more modern inflection.

The design and projects in The New Tatting are a far cry from the dated, black and white publications that are currently available, and the instructions and diagrams are clear and detailed for even a novice tatter. The 20 projects look fresh, not grandmotherly, and the modern use of color will appeal to people who have never tatted before as well as tatters looking for something new and interesting.