Rescue your Tatting - How to Fix Common Mistakes

7 Tatting Solutions

1. Peace of Mind

   I’m putting this point right at the beginning for a reason. Did you forget a single picot? Did you start a chain with the wrong half-stitch? Is a ring missing one double stitch? Honestly? Is anyone going to come by later with a magnifying glass to check if everything is perfect? Probably not. How many people do you even know who understand tatting well enough to spot your mistake? Only you know what happened, and chances are, you’ll have forgotten it yourself by the time you're on your next project. So, if it’s just a tiny detail that no one will ever notice, just leave it be and keep going. It’s okay—really.

2. Joining Without a Picot

   I forget picots all the time. Usually, I realize it a few double stitches later. Unpicking the stitches is not only annoying but also not necessarily recommended (more on that in a moment). Fortunately, you don’t actually need a picot to join. In every ring—even a closed one—there’s a little bit of "give." The stitches can slide back and forth ever so slightly. We can take advantage of this by pushing the stitches apart right where the picot should have been. We’re essentially creating a "mini-picot." Insert your hook into the small gap between the ring thread and the two stitches, and join just as you normally would. If the gap is too small, try a thinner crochet hook. It can also help to first poke into the gap with a darning needle to pry it open a bit.

3. Fake Joining

   Maybe you remembered the picot, but later forgot to actually join to it. You can rescue this too! Push the stitches apart where the join should have happened and pull a small loop of thread through. You can use a crochet hook or a sewing/darning needle for this. Then, pull that loop through the picot and tie a knot. Make sure the thread ends end up on the back of your work. Snip the ends close and secure them with a tiny drop of glue.

4. Unpicking Stitches

   Unpicking knots is fiddly and takes a long time. The real problem, however, is that it often damages the thread quite badly. Whether you’re picking at the knot with your fingernails or a needle, fibers will loosen. The more fibers fray, the more stability the yarn loses. It can even happen that you finally fix your mistake, only for the thread to snap when you try to close the ring. I personally find that incredibly frustrating. You can unpick one, two, maybe three stitches. Anything beyond that isn't worth the risk.

5. Opening Closed Rings

   Yes, it's true. It’s possible, and it’s actually quite simple. As you know from "Joining Without a Picot," there is always a little play in every ring. We use this play to reopen it. The thread inside the ring runs from the ball to the shuttle counter-clockwise. The stitches, however, were formed clockwise. This means if the front of the ring is facing you, the oldest stitches are at the bottom left, and the shuttle thread emerges from the very first stitch. Push the two oldest double stitches as far away from the rest as possible to create a "mini-picot." Insert your crochet hook into this space and catch the inner ring thread. Since you are close to the "exit," you can pull the thread out relatively easily. Once you’ve made a start, it becomes easier to slide the stitches along the thread.

6. Cutting and Re-tying

   
   Yes, yes, and yes again.
   
   Cut off entire rings or chains and tie on fresh thread. This is the most radical but also the fastest and cleanest method for fixing major errors.
   
   Are you missing 6 stitches in the middle of a ring, throwing off all your picots?
   
   Cut it. 
   
   Is an entire chain curving the wrong way?
   
   Cut it. 
   
   Did you make several rings too small, ruining a whole section?
   
   Cut it.
   
   But wait! Don't grab the scissors just yet. Don’t just cut anywhere. You need to leave enough thread to tie a new knot. For rings, push the first and last stitches apart and cut the inner thread at that opening. Then pull the shuttle as if you were closing the ring—this will cause the ring to fall apart. For chains, cut the inner thread behind the last stitch and pull it out from the beginning of the chain.
   
   Now, tie the new thread using a weaver’s knot (sheet bend) very close to the last chain or ring. I explain how to do that here .
   
   Special Case: Your working thread snapped during a chain. If you also cut the inner thread, you’ll have to attach two new threads but only have one chain to hide the ends. In this case, consider unwinding the inner thread from the shuttle so you can pull it out of the chain without cutting. This is only worth it if the inner thread isn't too long. Alternatively, you can weave one thread end into the stitches of the previous ring/chain with a needle and hide the other end in the new chain.
   Alternatively, you can weave one thread end into the stitches of the previous ring/chain with a needle and hide the other end in the new chain.
   

7. Work with Focus

   Is the dog staring at you hungrily? Are the kids tired and cranky in the background? Or did you just have a long day and can't concentrate anymore? Then call it a day. There are simple tatting projects that you can do almost on autopilot, but error correction requires your full attention. You need to be especially alert when you’ve attached new thread and are working on the section that went wrong before. It’s happened to me that I’ve made the same mistake three times in a row! By the end, even the spot for tying the knot was frayed, and I had to sacrifice another ring just to find fresh, stable thread. Find a quiet moment with a sharp mind (I know, those moments are rare), take a deep breath, and fix the mistake. You can do it!