Dear Jean et al, What can I say, Jean, except that sounds like a particularly frustrating situation. As one with no cartilage in one joint of both thumbs per x-rays, I look for other methods so I'm ready when the time comes. Sometimes my thumbs hurt, and then, pardon for the graphic nature, I just pull my thumb out, so the bits don't rub, and I'm fine. It's amazing, but it beats surgery and immobility for 6 weeks. It might help some.
This discussion arose some time ago, and I mentioned then seeing the owner of the lace shop in Linkoping stand up and work palms down on a Swedish pillow, which is a cookie/roller pillow, using Swedish bobbins, which have a big bulb at the end, and are fairly short. But her thumbs were not involved. That might not help everyone, but it might help some. There are at least 2 videos on youtube which show Swedish lacemaking. The first one is fairly clear, and the woman clearly uses her thumbs sometimes, but frequently she doesn't, and this method could be adapted for a totally thumbs free method. The second video is longer, silent, follows the first, and it does show some Swedish lacemakers, after some pictures of Vadstena, and some of them do not seem to use their thumbs ever, although it is not nearly as close up as the first video. But when it's a choice of a new method, or no lacemaking, this might provide a solution, or at least ideas, for some. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=xDTwiX9r_rw&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSkTeGH1Ap8&feature=autoplay&list=PL10B637A36966DA60&playnext=2 Lyn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, where it is going to be a lovely day, and we've been married 43 years today. Jean wrote >The problem with the method in the video [ >http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=xDTwiX9r_rw&NR=1 ]is that the >bobbins are being held >up in the hands and her fingers are supple. I couldn't do that because my >hands aren't supple and also would become tired within a few minutes. >Assuming I could do it at all, I'd have to stop and rest them before I could >continue. I'd also think it could be quite a painful method for some. I >tried one project with Bruges style bobbins, but gave them away because I >couldn't cope with them - I need the spangle to move them. > "My email sends out an automatic message. Arachne members, please ignore it. I read your emails." - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
