 thumbnail|250px|right|pine pattern collar in tatting tatting is a technique for handcrafting a particularly durable lace constructed by a series of knots and loops. tatting can be used to make lace edging as well as doilies, collars, and other decorative pieces. the lace is formed by a pattern of rings and chains formed from a series of cow hitch, or half-hitch knots, called double stitches (ds), over a core thread. gaps can be left between the stitches to form picots, which are used for practical construction as well as decorative effect. tatting dates to the early 19th century. the term for tatting in most european languages is derived from french frivolitÃ©, which refers to the purely decorative nature of the textiles produced by this technique. the technique was developed to imitate point lace in german tatting is called schiffchenarbeit, which means the work of the little boat, referring to the boat-shaped shuttle, and in italian tatting is called chiacchierino, which means chatty. ==technique and materials== ===shuttle tatting=== thumbnail|250px|right|vintage tatting shuttles from the early twentieth century. thumbnail|250px|right|newer type of shuttle with hook. tatting with a shuttle is the earliest method of creating tatted lace. a tatting shuttle facilitates tatting by holding a length of wound thread and guiding it through loops to make the requisite knots. historically it was a metal or ivory pointed oval shape less than  long, but shuttles come in a variety of shapes and materials. shuttles often have a point or hook on one end to aid in the construction of the lace. antique shuttles and unique shuttles have become highly sought after by collectors â even those who do not tat. to make the lace, the tatter wraps the thread around one hand and manipulates the shuttle with the other hand. no tools other than the thread, the hands, and the shuttle are used, though a crochet hook may be necessary if the shuttle does not have a point or hook. ===needle tatting=== [[image:needle tatting.jpg|thumb|250px|needle tatting in progress. a completed closed ring of 5ds segments with a pic
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