A lock join in shuttle tatting is yet another very handy skill to have in your shuttle tatting skill base!
When doing a lock join, the thread on top of your work is the working thread shuttle thread.
To begin a lock join:
- Lay your working shuttle thread up above and across the picot you want to do a lock join in.
- Come up through the picot from the bottom, hook the thread laying across the picot, and bring that thread back down through the picot you just came up through from the bottom.
- Loop the loop you around your finger to hold it so that it is somewhat tight (the loop should be “under”/to the back of your work).
- From bottom to top, draw the shuttle thread up through the loop you have just drawn – the loop you are holding somewhat tight with your finger.
- Once the shuttle thread has been drawn through the loop from bottom to top, start pulling the shuttle thread, which will start to close the loop.
- During the process of pulling the loop shut, make sure to have the two components you are joining with the lock join snugly together.
- Continue pulling the loop shut with your shuttle thread, all the while making sure that the two components are snug against each other.
- It is very important to note that prior to pulling the loop all the way down, you want to make sure the two components are fit snug against each other. This is important because once the loop is pulled all the way closed, this becomes your lock join, and it is definitely locked in and will be difficult to pull out.
There is one variation you can choose to use if drawing the shuttle from the bottom up through the loop is difficult for you. Instead of drawing your shuttle up through the loop, you can choose to bring the shuttle from the top down through the loop prior to closing the loop. However, it is recommended that you bring the shuttle up from the bottom, as this will make your join look like a double stitch, whereas going down through the loop will result in the appearance of just a half double stitch.
I hope this video and these instructions help you to add another tatting technique to your growing list of learned techniques!