Beaded Tatting Tips
Helpful tips for beaded tatting:
Close ring only after checking to see that the proper number of beads, picots, and joins have been made. Look first, then close.
Beads to be placed on the chains should also be moved into position behind the middle finger of the working hand before securing ball thread with a couple of wraps around the little finger. Beads slide into position as needed.
Picots which are used for joins are normally made slightly larger than the other picots to allow for the small amount of thread which is used up in the joining process. If you intend to place a bead over such a joining picot, it must be long enough to accommodate the length of the bead as well as allowing for the join.
If the diameter of the bead will allow it, use a small crochet hook size 13/14, 15, or 16 to insert into the bead. Use the hook to catch the picot and apply tension to the picot so that it flattens out. Then slide the bead off of the crochet hook and onto the picot. DO NOT REMOVE CROCHET HOOK. Use crochet hook to complete join by pulling up the loop thread and passing the shuttle through the loop. Snug stitches into place and continue. And if beading long picots, multiple beads can be placed on the hook.
If the diameter of the bead is so small that a crochet hook will not pass through it, thread a ten inch length of sewing thread on a very fine needle. Pass the needle through the bead while pinching the thread tails which are not knotted (just to keep the bead from sliding off.) Next pass the needle through the picot and back through the bead the opposite direction.
Holding all the threads and needle apply tension to the picot so that it flattens out and then slide the bead from the sewing thread onto the picot. DO NOT REMOVE NEEDLE AND THREAD YET. Insert the crochet hook into the tip of the picot and when it is secured, remove the needle and thread. Continue using the crochet hook to complete the join.
Close ring only after checking to see that the proper number of beads, picots, and joins have been made. Look first, then close.
Beads to be placed on the chains should also be moved into position behind the middle finger of the working hand before securing ball thread with a couple of wraps around the little finger. Beads slide into position as needed.
Picots which are used for joins are normally made slightly larger than the other picots to allow for the small amount of thread which is used up in the joining process. If you intend to place a bead over such a joining picot, it must be long enough to accommodate the length of the bead as well as allowing for the join.
If the diameter of the bead will allow it, use a small crochet hook size 13/14, 15, or 16 to insert into the bead. Use the hook to catch the picot and apply tension to the picot so that it flattens out. Then slide the bead off of the crochet hook and onto the picot. DO NOT REMOVE CROCHET HOOK. Use crochet hook to complete join by pulling up the loop thread and passing the shuttle through the loop. Snug stitches into place and continue. And if beading long picots, multiple beads can be placed on the hook.
 19th century tatters often carried their crochet hooks attached to a ring which was placed over the thumb when not in use. |  Fine crochet hooks are available today in size 13/14, 15 and 16 and come with a chatelaine attachment ring. |
If the diameter of the bead is so small that a crochet hook will not pass through it, thread a ten inch length of sewing thread on a very fine needle. Pass the needle through the bead while pinching the thread tails which are not knotted (just to keep the bead from sliding off.) Next pass the needle through the picot and back through the bead the opposite direction.
Holding all the threads and needle apply tension to the picot so that it flattens out and then slide the bead from the sewing thread onto the picot. DO NOT REMOVE NEEDLE AND THREAD YET. Insert the crochet hook into the tip of the picot and when it is secured, remove the needle and thread. Continue using the crochet hook to complete the join.
 Beads placed on picot in a ring. Beads placed on picot in a chain. Bead placed over a picot as the lace was joined. |  Beaded and shared picots. By Dianna Stevens |
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Beaded Tatting Basics
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