​The choice to use tatting shuttles as a focus for a series of necklaces is almost purely about form and function.  I am very attracted to the pointed oval, fishlike shape of the shuttle which holds wound thread and can be passed through loops to create lace.  The shuttles themselves are designed for their purpose, to be smooth and to neatly hold a reserve of thread.  Often, one tip would have a tiny point or hook which could assist in the undoing of a tangle or an error. The materials used to create the shuttles changed as did availability, often reflecting technological advances in the development of plastics.  Early shuttles were made of wood and shell.  Eventually metal and celluloid became popular options. There is something fierce and dangerous about these tools.  They are easily hidden due to their size and purpose, but their points are capable of harm. 


I find the aspect of the tatting shuttle to be lovely in and of itself and have gathered them as sacred totems to the work of women, a technique mostly lost.  

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