Got new shuttles today :) A steel Boye with four extra bobbins and a red/pink ("rose") Lacis plastic shuttle with point:
I ordered them from Lacis just last week (the 14th), and they are here already! Super fast shipping from US to Norway, we like :D And the shipping cost wasn't bad either. I e-mailed them before ordering and asked what the shipping would be, and I was told $11 or $12, but I've only been charged $4.50 or something :)
The Lacis shuttle is exactly the same length as a pointed Sew Mate, but the post is shorter, and (for some crazy reason) it's completely circular and is almost as wide as the shuttle itself. This means it won't hold nearly as much thread as a Sew Mate. *grumble* Plus it will need some cleaning and sanding if I want to get the thread through the little hole in the post.
Hm. Another shuttle for my collection, I guess... These shuttles come in eight different colors, and that would probably be the main reason for me to collect the rest. Some day...
The Boye looks nice, though the hook on the front seems pretty useless... It's not even a hook, it's more like a bump on the side of a pin that's hammered flat. I suppose it works well enough for joining when the picots are big enough :p Don't know if you can see what I mean...
I know that some people don't like to use them because the thread can get caught between the shuttle and the bobbin, which can leave unremovable stains on the thread. I'll keep that in mind and use it only for darker colors just in case :)
I will have to test my new pretties later - now it's time to do some homework!
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HI Again…skip putting the thread through the little hole in post shuttles; just type a slip knot and pull it tight and you don't have to use the hole. Also, add about 5" of a different colored thread on FIRST, and then tie a reef knot with the thread you are going to use. That way one does not get 'caught short' when tatting and run out of thread; you can do 'planned thread joins'. I recommend Judi Banasheck's book, "Impeccable Tatting", (her first book) as a really good reference for techniques. No patterns, all techniques and hints. Great book. bj
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the 25-Motif Challenge!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed you've been tatting only two months, have already collected books, shuttles, and threads, and have started a blog! Oviously, your 'hooked'! How wonderful to continue the tatting legacy in your family!
I highly recommend the Aero shuttles. which are perfect in every way for tatting. Bobbin shuttles make it very easy to change projects
I look forward to seeing how you progress. You're off to a great start!
I also have those shuttles. I'm not fond of them, but I do keep them as part of my collection. Worse than the metal Boye shuttles are the DMC metal shuttles... terrible! I love my Sew Mates and Clovers, and my "high-end" shuttles are to die for... Chris Hinton, David Reed Smith, Sherry Pence (LadyShuttleMaker), and Dave Stanbrough (Grizzly Mountain Arts) are my favorites!
ReplyDeleteBJ: Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look at that book. For now I'm all about pattern books, but then it's always nice to improve your techniques too :)
ReplyDeleteKathy: Thank you! And yes, I am very hooked on tatting :)
Diane: I haven't seen the DMC metal shuttles anywhere. Are they not made anymore? No matter how useless, I would like to have them in my collection :) I don't have any wood shuttles yet, but I really want a DRS shuttle and one of the Shuttle Shop shuttles with a dragon on it. My priority right now is one of Chris's tatted shuttles :)