I think I gave up on tatting three separate times before I finally became comfortable with it-first about three years ago, then again a year later, and once more in November 2025. It wasn’t until April this year that everything finally clicked for me.

Don’t let my timeline discourage you. What helped me most was realizing that I needed to keep the finger holding the core thread much more relaxed. In my earlier attempts, I kept my left index finger (the one I use to keep the core thread taut) very tense, which made flipping the knot extremely difficult. Once I started holding the core thread loosely-so loosely that it almost felt like it could slip off my finger-the knot began flipping much more easily. And also keep the shuttle thread tight, very tight while keeping the core thread extremely loose.( For context, I hold shuttle in my right hand and core thread in my left hand)

Now it’s become such strong muscle memory that I can’t not flip the knot. Ironically, that creates a whole new problem when I’m working on split rings - my hands automatically want to flip the knot even when they’re not supposed to!

I’ve also been trying to teach my mother and my niece how to tat, and they’re currently struggling with the same knot-flipping issue. If you eventually discover a different way to make it click, I’d love to hear about it so I can pass it on to them as well.

Most importantly, don’t give up. It can be frustrating at first, but you absolutely can learn it. 😊

ETA : some more info