Carolin Is Tatting Useful? Are Handicrafts Useful in General?
You bet!
The production of textiles is one of the most significant cultural techniques in existence. In 2025, the global industry generated around two trillion US dollars. Without weaving or knitting, none of us would be wearing jeans or T-shirts. There would be no bed linens, curtains, or towels.
Of course, the vast majority of this revenue comes from industry. Our cozy "hobby knitting" isn't what drives those numbers, but the technique is exactly the same—and it never hurts to possess knowledge of vital technologies.
Many people operate their smartphones effortlessly without knowing how they work on the inside. That’s fine; not everyone can know everything. But there are people who engage with it passionately in their free time because they enjoy it. Many a great app was developed by a passionate hobby programmer in their spare time.
It’s similar with our handicrafts. Many a pattern that became a hit in the industry was born on a sofa on a cold winter evening—or rediscovered in an archive by a dedicated knitting enthusiast. We should, therefore, be proud of our knowledge and skill.
But what about Shuttle Lace?
While the techniques of weaving and knitting practically hold our world together, tatting (Occhi) doesn't stand out quite as much and is entirely unknown to most people. I originally wanted to write an article about the history of tatting, but a quick online search yielded results so thin and contradictory that I didn't want to rely on them. It doesn’t surprise me that the great battles of history are researched and described down to the smallest detail, while peaceful—but no less interesting—topics are left by the wayside. But that is a story for another time.
It is suspected that tatting came to Europe from the Orient during the Middle Ages. However, our modern version of tatting likely emerged in the 19th century. Which part came from the Orient? Which was added in the 19th century, and how did modern tatting make its way back to the Orient? How did it reach Russia, Japan, or the USA? Did the technique develop independently in several places and later merge? Perhaps one day I will go searching for the answers to these questions.
One statement, however, I encountered almost everywhere: In Europe, tatting was a hobby of the aristocracy and served to put their leisure on display. Only nobles could afford such a "useless" handicraft.
BAM!
That hit home. Is my favorite hobby really so useless, good only for dust-collecting doilies?
Useful Tatting
First of all, art, culture, and hobbies absolutely have their justification today and offer important restorativevalueAs for me, the madness of our times would be unbearable without them.
Secondly, as mentioned above, there is an underestimated interface between hobby crafts and industry. Industry repeatedly and gratefully draws upon the knowledge of small, industrious crafters.
Furthermore, our society is structured quite differently today. No one does tatting anymore to show how bored they are. On the contrary: those who create something with their hands in their spare time are more likely to be admired or even envied.
Useful vs. Useful
Even though I stand 100% behind the previous paragraph, I have been preoccupied for years with the question of whether tatting can be used for truly useful things. Items for distraction or decoration are important and have there own purspoe. But I mean the other kind of useful. The kind that solves real problems, keeps feet warm, or protects fingers from hot pots.
I made a start with my stitch markers and my row counters . Admittedly, those are very small projects. At the very least, they help avoid buying plastic clips and use up some yarn scraps. But the gears in my head keep turning: what can you really use a holey fabric for? Ha! Another idea. You’ll be hearing from me…
Does this question preoccupy you while you craft? Has the topic perhaps even kept you away from tatting until now? Feel free to leave me a comment.
