dizzying no more

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.... thanks to Ninetta who always delivers with her engineering brain! I was trying out Mark Myer's (Tatman) Dizzy Double Stitch and simply could not get the 1st half-stitch right. Sought Ninetta's help and she surprised me with a video showing the process! I based my pictorial on this video. 

'Tatman' Mark Myer's DIZZY  DOUBLE  STITCH

Tatman Mark Myer's diagrams (July 2009) - https://web.archive.org/web/20090703064724/http://tatmantats.wordpress.com:80/dizzy-double-stitch-instructions/ 

Ninetta Caruso's video (Feb 2025) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U2SwGQGFf-zbn24ANMIxNmotW8l7-uIe/view

Muskaan's pictorial PDF (Feb 2025) -https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WymeZxilPxO159R2kz0mX19O-3LUBTjz/view

This stitch can be considered a form of padding the stitch where only the knotting thread has extra bulk or padding while the core thread remains unaffected. See Padded Double Stitch - http://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2014/05/tatting-experimenting-with-stitch.html
The extra twist in the thread creates a nice texture and height and tries to recreate a crochet stitch. We now know of another tatting stitch that mimics crochet - the Treble Tatting Stitch!

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Above is my first trial while following Ninetta's video. Notice the extremely thick cord I used, LOL!

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While I am sharing all pics for the pictorial here, for more details, please refer to the links given above.

 

1. Working in two colours, blue in shuttle and yellow ball. I started by making a small ring followed by a chain with a few double stitches (DS) and 3 dizzy DS. Here’s how the latter is done …
2. 1st half-stitch: Make a loop with the ball thread keeping it behind the shuttle thread. Hold the base of the loop in a pinch along with the shuttle thread (black arrow).The loop is held taut around your other finger- middle or index finger, whichever you use (red arrow).

TIP: It is very important to know where to insert the shuttle and which thread to pull while snugging.

 

3. Bring the shuttle above the loop and
4. pass it through the loop from back to front, from the lower/right part that lies behind your finger ...

 

5. and pass the shuttle from behind the core thread (between loop and shuttle thread).
6. Transfer/flip and remove all slack by pulling on the upper/left part of the loop. Notice there is a twist in the half-stitch.

 

7. 1st half-stitch of the dizzy DS is made and neatly snugged.
TIP: For the twist to show, keep the stitch a bit loose. Pulling on the ball thread too much will hide the ‘weaving’ effect. 
8. 2nd half-stitch: Start a loop just like for the 1st half-stitch and hold in pinch. Refer #2.

 

9. Bring the shuttle up keeping the thread in front and
10. pass it through the loop from front to back at the lower/right part of loop and above the core thread between the space between loop and shuttle thread.

 

11. Transfer or flip the stitch and remove all slack. Again, keep the stitch a bit loose for the twist to show. 
12. 2nd half-stitch made and neatly snugged.
One Dizzy Double Stitch made. Repeat the steps for as many stitches as needed.

A chain with dizzy DS. Notice how the stitch gets better when I kept the knotting/ball thread 'loose'.

A dizzy DS chain joined back for a mock ring.

TIPS / NOTES:

Tatted by Anita Barry (comparing tightly snugged and loose stitches)

• The samples above clearly show the reason why we need to keep the dizzy DS a bit loose.
• Ninetta 'cracked' it because Mark pointed out the similarity with working the 2nd side of a split ring. Perhaps this can be kept in mind.
• It is a good idea to leave a small picot before the first stitch and after the last stitch to compensate for the extra height (Ninetta).
• Picots can be made in the normal way by leaving space in the ball thread.
• For a straight chain, use a thicker core thread. 

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Initially I thought we couldn't use the stitch in a ring. However, when Ninetta said we can, I gave it a try and it worked! However, it turns out that I approached it a bit differently, reminiscent of a Loop Tatted Ring! Meanwhile Ninetta made another video for a ring, following Mark’s instructions. 

Ninetta's video for Dizzy Double Stitch in a Ring - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WhDgd9w1U7PZ9buVq_c8r8FA0-VIU5gn/view

So here's my slight variation .... 

I started a ring with 1DS. And above is how I worked the dizzy DS, just like in the chain. I divided the ring loop into two and held the base of loop and shuttle thread in a pinch. On the lower/right part of the top loop, I followed the steps for each half-stitch as shown in the chain pictorial. 

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Jane Eborall (2009) used the 2nd half-stitch to make textured Josephine Rings that are denser. Josephine Ring (alternative way) – http://janeeborall.freeservers.com/TipsAssorted.html

I had used this in the buds for my Poppy pattern back in 2014 -https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2014/09/tatting-pattern-tiny-heart-poppy-part-2.html

Karen Cabrera (2010/11) shows a slightly different method of working the stitches which can be considered a variation of the original. Lesson 37 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUtHpsIIknE
Ninetta Caruso (2025) compares Mark’s and Karen’s stitch in this video - 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UGlvqk4mPiWz9BEQ4AoKVnkxhQw72Blt/view

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Download PDF - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WymeZxilPxO159R2kz0mX19O-3LUBTjz/view

I hope you like this revisit to a 'forgotten' stitch and will use it to decorate some of your future tatted lace. It's a fun and quick tat once you get a hang of it! You can find tutorial links for all terms mentioned here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html

Many many many thanks to all mentioned above!