
Karin Meyer
I had always wanted to learn a craft, skill, cooking abilities from my grandmothers. Unfortunately, they passed away before I could independently spend time with them. My then-husband’s grandmother knew how to tat. No one had learned from her. My interest was sparked. Grandma B and I spent many afternoons together tatting. I remember her telling me in her Swedish accent: “Feel the knock.” By the time I was ready to learn another level of tatting, Grandma B went to live in a nursing home and couldn’t clearly remember how to tat. I feel that I learned in the nick of time.
Since then I have taught and encouraged people to tat. I used to belong to the Minnesota Lace Society. Through them I demonstrated tatting at the Festival of Nations, an art show at Minnehaha Falls, and at a county fair. For several years in the 1990s I was also a tatting demonstrator at the Norsk Hostfest in Minot, North Dakota. My favorite place to demonstrate is in a log cabin at the Almelund Apple Fest in Almelund, Minnesota. Three children, a hobby farm, and full-time work is skillfully balanced with time for tatting.
A positive thing that came out of the COVID quarantine is that I discovered that I love to refurbish treadle sewing machines. I have 50 of them. Nearly all are in working order, too. That’s not bad considering they range in age from 1883-1940.