How exactly do I tell how much I wound, if I wind it directly from a spool? That's another big problem I have - I can't tell what length of thread I have on a bobbin, unless I unwind it all and stretch it out across the room or something, but that will often just end with a big mess of tangled thread...
> I have heard of fanatics who measure the width of the trail and multiply > that by the number of pins
Hi again.
When I wind from the spool, it's a two-step process. I pull out a yard from the spool, then wind it. Pull another yard, wind. Count the times this is repeated and it's about the number of yards on the bobbin. Only a small amount is loose at one time. You can do it in one or two yard batches. Then to wind the other half of the pair, I carefully pull off the same number of yards. If I'm sitting in the center of a clock, I pull out thread at 3 o'clock, one yard out and one yard back to my lap. Then I pull out a yard at 1 o'clock, one yard out and one yard back. This two yard batch does not touch the first batch so will not tangle while winding. If more is needed, do the same at 9 o'clock on the other side, and at 11 o'clock. This bring you to 8 yards. If winding more than that do the same at 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock, etc. I have wound up to 14 yards this way without the thread tangling. Each segment will wind in without touching the other segments.
This is a bit long but it's a bit weird to describe.
You just have to guess on the thread on the bobbins -- or just unwind the smallest one for a guide and guess from there. If you use the same type of bobbins a lot, you will get the feel of how much they hold.
As for measuring the trail, figure the amount needed for one inch, lay a tape measure or a string along the trail for one repeat. Measure the string if you used one. Multiply the thread needed for one inch by the total number of inches in the repeat. Multiply the number of repeats by the thread amount for one repeat. Convert to yards, and add one or two more.
On a side line -- I was recently reading a book that talked about old yardage lace. It said that some types of lace were made in segments which were the length that could be made with the amount of thread wound on a set of bobbins. When the thread gave out, the lace was cut off, and bobbins wound for a new segment. A specialist took the segments and attached them together. This is one way a long length of a pattern could be made by multiple lacemakers instead of one person taking weeks on a single pillow. It also solved the problem of how to attach a new thread into the lace when one gave out. They just started over.
Alice in Oregon -- where I just got back from a company picnic with the company I retired from. Lots of retirees were there. It was nice to see them.
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