Whilst I agree that good beginner books are invaluable, and teachers, if available, equally so, those of us who are more than a few months into lacemaking find it very easy to forget that we take many resources for granted.
*We* subscribe to Arachne, various organisations, etc. We see the book reviews, advice on equipment, and know where to ask the silly sounding questions. But, for those who are just starting out, unless they have another lacemaker to support them (who has discovered the various resources for him/herself) they are dependent on what they can find in the local bookshop, the local public library, the local craft shop. Many do not, even now, have, or even wish to have, access to the internet. In the US, it would appear that Doris Southard's book is easily available for those wishing to learn. Here in the UK, back in 1984 when I decided to pursue further the topic of a day's Guider training course, I had no advice on which book to buy, and although I didn't buy a kit, I ended up with a decent straw pillow but some pretty naff bobbins. I made the mistake of buying a book I found in one of the bookshops which said in its title that it was for beginners. Two or three pages in, although I had managed to produce a small sample of the stitches I had learnt on the course, and added a plait to my repertoire, I found I had difficulty understanding precisely what was meant by the terminology (is a "pass" a stitch or a row of stitches?! - that book makes it difficult to decide). I gave up; apart from anything else I was six months pregnant and had difficulty getting near my pillow. In 1989 I found a class to go to - all was explained! Since then, I have been very careful which books I recommend to beginners - clear diagrams are very important, including photos showing the thread paths - although not all students can follow diagrams! Some prefer wordy descriptions, others prefer to be shown rather than using books. In proof reading "Introduction to Torchon Lace" (Alison Tolson, The Lace Guild, 2002) I was all the while asking myself whether my lot would be able to follow the instructions without any other help - I still have one misgiving (over Alison's practice of finishing a row of stitches by covering the pin - this can make it difficult to tell which end you finished at, especially in cloth & twist!). However, students with a teacher have the advice, and can ask where to look for books to buy. Those who join organisations or subscribe to the various lace magazines and have at hand the book reviews, and often access to a specialised library (so that they needn't make the expensive mistake I did), and advertisements telling them where they can buy these things. Many do not join the organisations or subscribe to the magazines until they are fairly competent lacemakers, because the patterns, articles, etc are aimed above the absolute beginner. By that time, they do not need to buy beginner instruction books! So, for the beginner without knowledge of the magazines, etc, what is there? The few books in the local bookshop - not necessarily chosen by a person knowledgeable in lacemaking - the few in the local library (if any!) - what the local craft shop has managed to find at wholesalers (normally the horror kits). They rarely see books and materials advertised in the general craft/needlework/womens' magazines - because advertising is expensive and suppliers aim at captive, interested audiences (ie subscribers to the lace magazines). To Lorelei, in a private reply, I said that I wouldn't have known about her book (which I believe is a good one - I haven't seen it) had I not been a subscriber to Arachne and a member of The Lace Guild. Maybe the beginners who need it will miss out on it because they do not know of its existence? Books and magazines should complement each other. A magazine of whichever organisation should not be regarded as the only way to learn a lace, but if there is no content that a newcomer will be interested in, then they will not subscribe and will miss out on the information about the books and suppliers that they do need - unless they are lucky enough to have other lacemakers letting them use their copies (which then is iffy in terms of copyright). What we forget is that there are always totally new lacemakers at any given time - not all have passed the first two lessons, and thinking that we did an article on beginning such-and-such in 1999, we don't need to do anything else does not help the person who will start learning tomorrow - especially if back issues are not available! Sorry this is so longwinded - I'll shut up and get ready for class now! -- Jane Partridge - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
