Personally I've never been attracted to tatting with clunies or tallies.
Many years ago when I was out and about with Rosemarie Peel we talked about this tatting technique and I remember what she said. She said (and it's stuck in my mind ever since) that clunies belong to bobbin lace. I tend to agree with her and have never been that bothered about trying them.
That is until a magical time in South Carolina about ten or more years ago when I was at a Palmetto Tat Days. I managed to sneak into a lesson by Mimi Dillman on clunies. I was so impressed with the way she taught the lesson so gently and clearly that I 'got' the cluny down. Well, as I said, that was around ten years ago and my last foray into them.
A few days ago was the day to try them once more. Not a pretty sight, eh?