Do not count yourself out if you’re having difficulty getting your rings to look just right. This is a common problem with new tatters. Remember, you’re learning a new art (new to you, that is) and like any skill, it takes practice. But, how can you fix a ring that’s too loose or too tight; instead of breaking off the thread and starting over. We’d never get anything finished if we did that, right? So, here’s a bit of help for when you get in one of those situations.

Below are some easy fixes to help you continue your tatting. These are not the only solutions to loosen and tighten rings. These are merely a few suggestions to help you keep your sanity, rather than having little piles of ‘half-formed’ or ‘scrunched up’ rings.

Shuttle ring fixes:
For a tight 'shuttle' ring; once the ring is closed and you realize it's too tight, you can loosen it slightly by holding the beginning stitch and end stitch and separating the ring (as if to pry it open). You cannot use this method to open the ring to a large degree because a knot will form. But, you can do it enough to give the ring a bit more room and 'relax' the circle. If, by chance, you can separate the ring enough to grasp the core thread (maybe using tweezers-depending on the size of thread you’re using), you can hang onto and pull that core thread from the center of the beginning double stitches. This pulls the ‘shuttle’ thread backwards and opens the ring back up so that you can readjust your tension.

The secret is to not make the ring too tight in the first place. I advise beginners to draw the ring close enough so that the first and last stitches are just barely touching. Look at your ring and determine if this is tight enough or do you need to make it a bit tighter? Most likely, by the time you finish your first project you'll be happy with the outcome of your rings. But, don't expect perfection. Even a talented tatter, with years of experience, will find that they get lax and make a ring a tad too tight now and then.

Needle ring fixes: First, let me tell you that ‘needle’ rings are much easier to fix.
For a loose 'needle' ring; just pull the needle to tighten your ring.
For a tight 'needle' ring; simple grasp your ring (by the last few stitches) and separate the ring. This is an easy matter and you don't have to worry about knots since the 'needle' ring is formed a bit different than the 'shuttle' ring.