There has been some discussion on doing the Lock Stitch/Shuttle Join with the Needle.
Difference between a Lock Stitch and a Shuttle Join:
Lock Stitch is an "unflipped" half of a double stitch, the first or second half of the ds. This join will not slide and makes a knot. A Shuttle Join is used to join rings together, and usually made through a picot. The stitches should slide freely after making a shuttle join. 
We have never come across anyone who does this with a needle, so here are some ways that I do mine and a couple other suggestions to try out and find what works best for you. This is basically when making chains around a piece or chains on chains in a continuous thread method to make a lock stitch so the chains do not pull out of shape when making the next chain.
And of course with the needle the join is basically pulling the needle thread up through the picot and putting the needle throught the loop that is formed, and close it down on the picot.

1st, you can pull your core/needle thread UP through the picot and put the needle through the loop, this will lock it. You will also have to be careful and play around with it and make sure it's locked properly. It is up to you to deside if you want to use it as the first ds on the next chain, or just make it and continue making the full chain.

2nd, you can pull your core/needle thread DOWN through the picot and put the needle through the loop, this will lock it. You will also have to be careful and play around with it and make sure it's locked properly. It is up to you to deside if you want to use it as the first ds on the next chain, or just make it and continue making the full chain

3rd, you can shape the chain RW, which will lock the core thread from pulling the chain out of shape. Put the needle through the picot and RW again. This does leave a knot and the second chain does not shape at the base as nice.

 

Try different ways, and find what works best for you. And if you find any other way to do the lock stitch, please let us know and we will post it here with acknowledgment to you. Thanks!

Mary aka Amoonsinger has added some great information on the message boards on the SS=Switch Shuttles, SJ=Shuttle Join, LS=Lock Stitch. This is translations for patterns that have these terms for the shuttle and how to do them with the needle. If anyone else has any information or suggestions on this, please feel free to post on this thread to help other's.