Tatting is a form of lace made by tying knots in thread with a shuttle.
Some believe it originated in knots fishermen tied in their nets. The tatter's main tool, the shuttle, is a simple device around which the tatter winds the thread. The tatter holds the shuttle in one hand and passes it through and around the thread held in a circle in the other hand to make a series of knots. The knots are then formed into rings which can be joined together to create an infinite variety of patterns. Later shuttles were made from metal while most modern shuttles are made of plastic and resemeble the early celluloid versions.