When I use small tips (mostly a 1), I find that the icing (consistency for writing or outlining) comes out squirrely, and messes up my attempts at straight lines.

Is it because the icing is too thick or that there is a small hardened clump in the tip?

I havent' had time to problem solve it so I thought I would ask the cookie pro's here

There were some good tips about royal icing recently including running the icing through new nylon stockings.

It could be too stiff, you could have a clump, you might be squeezing too hard/too fast, the tip could have a seam that causes it... many reasons.

If it's possible, you might consider using a #2 tip and see if the problem is solved.

I never have luck writing with a 1. I always use a 2 or 3 because of your same problem. I've checked the tip over and over and even bought a couple different ones. I think it's just too small for writing anything neatly, but I'll be interested to see if anyone else has a suggestion...sorry not much help.

I love using a 1, I know that if mine comes out squirrely it's too thick! And when I was first starting and getting the hang of how hard I needed to squeeze it would come out squirrely too!

Using a #1 does take practice, but once you have it down, it's really elegant!

Thanks everyone! I think it may be too thick; I'll have to play around with it, and maybe use the stocking for extra measure.

I really do like the #1...I even have a #0 but think I'll master the #1 before moving on to that!

I never knew others have the same problem I have
Thank you all the 'tips'

This has been a problem for me, too. I just seem to have this tendency to make icing thicker than it should be. And my piping skills really need improving....maybe Sharon Z. will come out with a piping dvd for us!

But the stocking idea is very intriguing--does it have to sit there while it strains through the mesh, or do you have to kind of force it through?

You place a small piece of stocking over the coupler (on the outside of the bag), then your tip, and then thread the other coupler piece over it so you're securing the stocking in the threads.

Then as you're squeezing the bag the icing is flowing through the stocking, then your tip.

Hope that makes sense!

Amylou, that makes perfect sense. What a great idea! I'm going to try it tomorrow.

no need to use a stocking if you DISSOLVE your meringue powder in HOT water

I use a #1s from Wilton for all my final outlining and writing. I use a glace (thickened to the consistency of peanut butter), and never strain thru a stocking. Every now and then I'll get a clog, but I have a number of tips on hand to switch to when that happens. As indydebi said, it takes a bit of practice. I've gotten pretty good at determing how thick the icing needs to be by how it feels when I'm mixing in the extra powdered sugar.