At the beginning of the twenty-first century it was not uncommon for the term netting needle to be used for a long flat piece with a pincher at one end and an inverted needle at the other. This tool is in fact a needle shuttle. It is sometimes said that the bone and wood versions of a shuttle are used for thick yarns, while the fine metal needles are for fine threads.
Sources:
- CAULFEILD, Sophia F. A. and Blanche C. SAWARD (1882). The Dictionary of Needlework, London: Upcott Gill, p. 356, fig. 619.
- DILLMONT, Thérèse de (nd). Encyclopedia of Needlework, p. 486, figs. 635-637.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 8th July 2016).
GVE