Dear Arachne friends, as a confessing lace frog (better: thread frog, as I jump onto the big leaves of the weaving, knitting, embroidery flowers as well) I just have to throw my two pennies in.
Does one have to master a certain kind of lace before beeing allowed to start with another? There was the question of "Paris before Binche" some digests ago. Some teachers are like that. (Approaches towards teaching and education in general can be very different... aber das ist ein weites Feld *g at Ilske*) Well, a teacher who would try to restrict me like that could have a problem, or a pupil less. Certainly she could refuse to teach me, but never stop me to learn what I want! Certainly, if I decide to sign for a class, I'll follow my teacher for this weekend - but not for my lace life. In twenty years of school and university I had to follow more or less a certain path, because I wanted my examina, my diploma, my PhD.. and in my company I have to follow too, more or less, because I want my salary... >From my crafts, I don't want anyhing but joy, beauty, calm and peaceful hours, connection with history and with fellow lacemakers. So I make (or try) the lace that "sings to me", as someone called it, or try to master certain techniques which thrill me, knit a piece I want to wear, weave a towel in a pattern that intrigues me. If I want to make it, I will gain the neccessary skills. It's true, there are teachers who are kind of dogmatic. And there are others. It's ok to have favourites. It's absolutly ok to restrict oneself in teaching (or lacemaking)to those laces one likes best or masters best. it's not ok to restrict others. A "niche craft" like lacemaking requires encouragement rather than stopping those who are willing to learn. In fact, every entanglement of threads is a manipulation which can be understood in a geometrical, technical, mathematical way. A piece of knitting is build up from knits and purls only. Two different basic movements, a few variations, and you can knit a pot holder or a lacey shawl or a fair isle or aran pattern. So what? It's up to you, two find the right - very individual - path between boaring and frustrating projects. Same with BL: T and C. Some variations. That's all... (yes, I know... I'm simplifying to encourage, ok?) And with whatever kind of lace one starts, this experience is helpful for the next kind. And for the next pattern.. and so on. What does not help nowadays: forcing people to make "worms" for six month.. This might have been neccessary 200 years ago, when children started with simple patterns, when there was no time and thread to waste, because every inch of lace was familiy income. Limitation to certain patterns and regional style was a question of economical production. Of course, a binche pattern is not the best to start with. Quite demanding. But maybe a six-pair CS(WS/HS)-braid is not the best, either? Quite boaring. Some need the experience of Paris ground to understand the logic of a snowflake pattern, others do not. The best impetus is not a fixed curriculum, but a pattern so beautiful that you want to master it... Hence nobody needs lace nowadays, the purpose of lacemaking changed. It's individual joy and shared heritage. And for both purposes, to bring people joy and preserve and spread the art and craft of lace, it's the best to let develope, lacemakers as well as lace. *off the soap box and bye for now* Eva, from Haltern, Germany Tamara - will you go on with your report from the snowflake quilt class? - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
