I received books, thread and supplies for tatting for my birthday this year from my mother. Having had nothing better to do the past few weeks, I picked it up.
Needle tatting was definitely easier as a first go -- somewhere between casting on stitches in knitting and making friendship bracelets. But I couldn't figure out how to translate instructions for shuttle tatting to needle tatting.
So I attempted shuttle tatting. The first go was a horrible mess. I didn't understand the instructions, and there's a PAGE TURN in the middle of all of that. I put it back down. A week later, I picked it up again. Much better! But I stopped paying attention and got a nasty knot and couldn't unpick enough to make it worth while.
so yesterday I started anew. It is going well, and I have 13 little linked up rings. I'm not sure how far I'll take it, but the patter does also have a second row. I'm on Lesson Two in my book. I still cannot make any actual lace pattern, but I'm tatting.
And I don't know anyone around here who understands a) how complex this is and b) how exciting it is to learn a new lace making technique. I'll go put on black eyeliner and Bright Eyes and go sit in the corner with my tatting now. :-P
