tatting lace

I didn't even know what tatting was, I had to google it.

I found this:

Joins with a seperate crochet hook
If you prefer working with a seperate crochet hook, I recommend using an ordinary crochet hook. The small hooks that come with some shuttles aren't very suitable since they tend to get lost.
I love one of my Jeans shirts which does not only have a pocket, but a second one which is very narrow, usually used for a pen or pencil. I use it for storing my crochet hook when I don't need it.
There is another handy gadget, a ring worn on the finger, which has a hook attached to it by a short chain. I wear the ring on my thumb and slip the needle under the ring when not in use. This helps it not to catch on somewhere you don't want it to.
Be sure to use the right size of hook for your work. When using a finer needle than required you might split the thread, and for a thicker hook you need bigger picots which might make your work loose or uneven.

It comes from this website: http://www.tatting.de/dol/tatips.htm

I hope that helps.