Stawasz Tat-along: Round V

I finally completed Round V of the Stawasz Mega Doily last night, dampened it with a wet paper towel, and let it dry overnight.

Don't get me wrong, I really do like using size 100 thread. I found, however, that because the thread is so small and highly twisted, it has a tendency to form into a knot while I am trying to close rings. I have to be very careful each time I close a ring, repeatedly straightening the thread to make sure it doesn't knot up on itself. It is a real pain when it does, because even the small picks on my Clover shuttles are too large to undo it. I have to use a size 10 sharp needle (the one I use to sew in ends) and stab at the knot until it comes undone. I have pretty good eyesight but I cannot actually see how the thread is knotted because it is so small.

Anyhow, here is another photo to give a better idea of the size of the doily so far. It is pictured with two antique bone tatting shuttles, the kind that have a simple design etched into them:

According to Heidi Nakayama, these bone shuttles were often mailed out as a gift for obtaining one new subscriber to Needlecraft magazine. This promotion ran from 1916 until 1923. Her book, Tatting Shuttles of American Collectors, is a great read if you like antiques or have a tatting shuttle collection of your own.