In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes >Subsequently the woman was allowed >to >do a fiber analysis on laces from the same era at the Powerhouse museum and a >sizable majority of them also had cotton fibers with the linen. This is >rather interesting since generally, people think that cotton wasn't used in lace >until the 1800's.
There is, however, no reason why lace couldn't have been made with a cotton/linen mix before the 1800s - it probably was. The main reason why cotton lace is not thought to date prior to about 1832/3 is that until that date, processing a 100 percent cotton fibre didn't produce a strong enough thread to make lace from. (There are various threads today that are just too fragile to use on bobbins, although fine for general woven processes.) Linen and silk, which were predominantly used, had a longer staple thus producing a stronger spun yarn. As technology developed, and the Spinning Jenny came into use, so cotton, with its shorter staple, could be spun into stronger threads, and (probably) being cheaper, gradually took the place of the other fibres. Spun alongside linen, it would give a reasonably strong, but possibly cheaper to produce thread than 100 percent linen? Both being cellulose based, it would make sense to mix them - presumably the scriptural taboo of a linen and silk (think it was linen and silk, and not linen and wool - common sense, either way, as a cellulose/protein mix would be a nightmare to keep clean without modern processes!) mix still held and the cost would be prohibitive. Non lace: for those few Arachnes who met him, and I have mentioned him before, I'm sure, our cat Bobbin died three weeks ago - he had had a heart problem for four years, and the blood clot in his heart finally moved, fatally. He was 10 years old. So I have no more excuses for "Bobbin thread" in my lace. Chloe (4 last week) was missing him somewhat - especially his habit of ambushing her for a "fight" after supper - and we succumbed somewhat quicker than previously to a new kitten. The new "kid" is a black tabby, eight weeks old and being taught some very unprintable words when he encounters Chloe at the moment - I'm sure she will get used to the idea and accept him as somekit to play with, but it is early days yet! It will be interesting to see what his reaction to lace is - the other cats we have had haven't taken much notice, except Tabitha, who always wanted the bobbins positioned "just so"! -- Jane Partridge - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
