Hi Jenny I thoroughly agree with you. The spangle adds weight without width (useful if you are working with many bobbins) and it also reduces the tendency for bobbin to roll which is a nuisance when the bobbin will not stay in place and causes the twist on the thread to change. As you say, a slightly domed pillow allows the weight of the bobbin and spangle to continue to act on the thread thus assisting with tension, and also it assists in keeping the hitch in place. Adding weight at the end of the bobbin affects the handling, and I hold East Midlands bobbins further down the shank than I do Continental bobbins. I have found that I choose the length and weight of the bobbin, including the spangle, to suit the weight of the thread, i.e. I use larger, heavier bobbins with thick thread. For very fine thread e.g. 240/2 Egyptian, I use bobbins that are 9-9.5 cm long that weigh 2gm with a spangle of 0.5gm.
I have an interesting anecdote regarding Eat Midlands versus Continental bobbins. Many years ago I was asked to do a introduction to Valenciennes workshop. I had 6 students including one very experienced lace teacher, known for the quality of her lace, and a much younger person with only six months experience who was showing all the signs of becoming a good lacemaker. The lace teacher used the smaller Continental bobbins, with which she had had plenty of experience, and the newer lacemaker used spangled East Midlands bobbins. By the end of the day the new lacemakerâs tension was by far the better of the two. We were stunned! I leave you to come to your own conclusions. Happy lacemaking Alex - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
