Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn tatting
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Tatting makes lace from knots, worked with a small shuttle or a tatting needle and built up into rings, chains and the small loops called picots. The kit fits in a pocket, and one member of a tatting guild in Spokane says you can get into it for 5 dollars.
GentleUnder £100 / $130A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
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What you learn
Tatting is built from knots. Beginners learn one stitch, the double stitch, and then use it to make rings and chains. A beginners' class at the Lacis Museum in Berkeley says very few stitches must be mastered, and works towards a simple edging of linked rings and picots.
It is small, slow work, and mistakes have to be untied. One member of the Shuttlebirds Tatting Guild in Spokane takes 20 to 30 minutes to make one of her tiny tatted dragons. Another made a doily in about three hours.
The shuttle has a long history. The Irish Lace Guild dates it to the 16th century, and says a second shuttle, or a ball thread, came in 1864 to work a chain.
In the UK, the Ring of Tatters was set up in 1980, according to one of its founder members. The Lace Guild keeps lists of UK lace groups and teachers, ordered by name or by county, and full contact details are available through its office.
Ways in
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| The Lace Guild, UK | Lists of lace groups and teachers, by name or by county; full contact details through the Guild office | Not listed |
| Lacis Museum, Berkeley, California | Beginning tatting: a 3.5-hour shuttle class (past run) | $55.00 |
| Tatter textile library, Brooklyn, New York | Two four-hour Sunday sessions of shuttle tatting, all materials provided (past run) | $250 |
| Carmel Crafts Guild, California | Weekly tatting study group, in person and on Zoom; needle and shuttle | First visit free, then guild membership |
For the Lacis class you bring small scissors, a tatting shuttle and
How to start
- Choose a shuttle or a needle to begin with. Some groups work with both, and one needle-tatting class says anyone who knits or crochets can usually learn it.
- Find a class or a group. The Lace Guild keeps lists of UK lace groups and teachers, and its office has full contact details.
- Learn the double stitch first, then move on to rings, picots and chains.
Where to go
- The Lace Guild: UK lace group and teacher lists UK
- Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, Berkeley: past tatting classes US
- Carmel Crafts Guild, California: tatting study group US
We opened these links on 13 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Is tatting hard to learn?
It takes patience more than many stitches. Lacis Museum says very few stitches must be mastered, and beginners start with the double stitch before rings and picots; chains follow in a second class.
What is the difference between needle tatting and shuttle tatting?
Shuttle tatting carries the thread on a small shuttle; needle tatting uses a tatting needle. One needle-tatting class says anyone who knits or crochets can usually learn it.
What do I need to start tatting?
A tatting shuttle or needle, cotton thread and small scissors. Some classes include a kit, so check before you buy.
Where can I learn tatting in the UK?
The Lace Guild keeps lists of UK lace groups and teachers, ordered by name or by county, and its office has full contact details.
Where this comes from: The Lace Guild, Group and teacher lists; Lacis Museum, Beginning Tatting; Lacis Museum, tatting classes; Tatter, Tatting workshop; Carmel Crafts Guild, Tatting study group; Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, Basic beginning needle tatting; The Spokesman-Review, Knotty fun: Shuttlebirds Tatting Guild's monthly meetings; Irish Lace Guild, Tatting; The Makers directory (Heritage Crafts), About Dr Brenda Rewhorn. Opened 13 November 2026.
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