Fig. 488. Third position of the hands.
Then, raising the third and fourth fingers of the left hand with the loop upon them, pull up the loop, stretching the thread tightly in so doing by extending the fingers. By this movement a knot is formed, the first part of the «double knot», which is the most common one in tatting.
Remember that the right hand must be kept perfectly still as long as the left is in motion and that the knot must be formed of the loop thread that is in the left hand.
The right hand, or shuttle thread, must always be free to run through the knots; if it were itself formed into knots it would not have the free play, needed for loosening and tightening the loop on the left hand, as required.
Fourth position of the hands (fig. [489]).—The second part of a knot is formed by the following movements: pass the shuttle, as indicated in fig. [489], from left to right, between the first and third fingers through the extended loop; the right hand seizes the shuttle in front of the empty loop and extends the thread; the left hand pulls up this second part of the knot as it did the first.
Fig. 489. Fourth position of the hands.
Single or half knots. Josephine picots (figs. [490] and [491]).—The Josephine picot or purl, as it is also called in tatting, consists of a series of single or half knots formed of the first knot only. These picots may be made of 4 or 5 knots, as in fig. [490], or of 10 or 12 knots, as in fig. [491].