Dear Lacemakers, Sympathies to those who have been in the direct paths of hurricanes and monsoons this year. For them, this will not be of use, because they have other priorities.
However, for those who are on the fringes and coping with elevated levels of dampness in your homes - this is a season to collect distilled water for washing laces. If you have equipment that collects in a bucket, you can save this water in gallon-sized bottles that drinking Spring Water comes in. You will need a funnel for the water transfer. Maine is normally blessed with a dry climate and low humidity, so this is the first year in 10 that I have connected two de-humidifiers in the basement to collect water. The machines I have are from Whirlpool, and a lift-off rectangular bucket "hangs" off the back under the coils that collect moisture and convert that moisture to water. Some people connect a hose to the bottom of the bucket. To stopper that opening, you can use a hose cap. Remove the hose and put the cap right on the bucket so it will be easy to carry the bucket. The caps are available in hardware stores. I took a bucket with me to be sure to buy ones that fit. If you are going to use this water for your laces, your equipment must be clean. I wash mine periodically, and then wipe off any cleaning detergent with a cloth soaked in white vinegar. The detergent is something I do not want in the collected water. For lace washing instructions, go to: www.honitonlace.com Click on "Cleaning Lace" in the Contents list on the left. Then click on "here" in the first paragraph of the next screen. Heed all warnings. Newbies - I recommend you print out the instructions. There is very little information available on the subject of washing laces in a home setting. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace & Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
