To Leonard, and to Liz - I am SO envious of the empathy you have experienced, Liz... and Leonard, I am SO in touch with the need to follow diagrams in order to understand how to create what we are seeing...
To my way of thinking, you are not at all contradictory - just expressing different stages of development in the grand pursuit of knowledge in lacemaking. And, to be fair, if I decide to pursue Torchon lace for a lifetime, I believe that I could cut the umbilical after a relatively short period of time. If I choose to pursue Point Ground laces, I can learn the "moves" fairly quickly, but in order to be true to the many variations on a theme (Bucks, Tonder, Bayeux, Downton, Blonde de Caen, Malmesbury, etc., etc.), I'm sure that I would continue to rely on diagrams (at least intermittently) to be sure that those subtle differences were observed. When it comes to the continental laces, the learning curve is much more demanding, and the need for the diagrams is more protracted. And ANY time a new lace is explored, it would be hopeless without benefit of the diagram. For those who are long-term students and devotees of one type lace, the diagram is not essential. For those who continue to explore the vast schmorgasbord of laces, the diagram is something we treasure. (Yes... we tend to be Americans, and consider ourselves somewhat blessed that we do NOT have a regional tradition!). Nevertheless, I reaffirm... I strive for that moment of "Zen" lace, when I can simply create a stunning piece without the diagram. (Did it once! Still tingle with excitement! It was Torchon!!) But I'm with you as well, Leonard! Without the diagrams, I'd be helpless in the face of the challenges of new laces!! Hats off to all of you! You're STILL one among millions in the world!! Clay ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 6:03 PM Subject: Re: [lace] Diagrams again (long, I'm afraid) > In a message dated 24/08/2004 21:14:05 GMT Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > I think it is fairly obvious that when it comes to showing how a particular > > stitch is done, or how some technique works, a standard diagram can be > > invaluable, and not using one where it is appropriate, on grounds of tradition or > > authenticity, is counter-productive > > and not very sensible at best. > > I have had a period of about 6 years where I made minimal lace - about 3 or 4 > pieces a year and have realised that my empathy for patterns had diminished. > > I had got to the point where I could look at a pattern and feel how it should > be made. Now I intellectually know but don't have that empathy because I'm > not making lace all the time. Yes, it will come back but in the mean time I > thought that using diagrams would help me but this has been a two edged sword. > > Yes, it's allowed me to make pieces that I would have shied away from > recently (but happily done before) but then I realised that it's made me dependent on > the diagrams so I've started to go back to the way I learnt to make lace - > and that's to look at the picture of the lace and feel how it is made. > > It's working! I'm getting the old empathy back. > > Regards > > Liz in London > > I'm back blogging my latest lace piece - have a look by clicking on the link > or going to http://journals.aol.com/thelacebee/thelacebee > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
