--- susan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> if anyone is interested, the best method i have come
> up with so far is
> to attatch the bobbin to a thin dowel with a rubber
> band, and then
> twist it down my leg like a spindle. the thinner
> the dowel, the more
> twist per push, and the bobbins fill up faster. i
> hope i get the
> patience to get the bigger job done, or at least
> ready to begin.
Susan,
I seem to remember that you rejected it initially but
that is _exactly_ the movement you use when winding on
a string. Sometime, when you feel like trying it,
-find a string (not a thread) -heavy tatting cordonet
or bedspread crochet weight works well
-attach a string to something in front of you. and
hold it in your non-dominant hand
-choose a bobbin that doesn't have anything really
strange going on on its "lower parts." (the ones you
really want to avoid are spiral bobbins. They are
possible if they have straight around "valley" on them
somewhere but are tricky. Also avoid anything with
heavy or extra large spangles for now -they are also
harder)
Now comes the fun part, don't even worry about the
lace thread for now. Loop the string around the
"handle" of the bobbin. If you keep the string loose,
you can move the bobbin up and down the string with
your fingers by letting the string slide on the
bobbin. Now put some tension on the string. The loop
around the bobbin tightens and grips it and moving the
bobbin up and down the string has it rolling (just
like when you attach it to a dowel and roll it down
your leg). -sort of cradle the bobbin in your fingers
as it rolls and it won't get away from you.
And that is how you use a string to wind a bobbin. I
wind (and keep the string tight) when I bring the
bobbin towards me. Then I loosen the string and
slide it down to start all over.
The direction you loop the string around the bobbin
will determine the direction you wind the thread so
figure out which way gets the thread on the bobbins
the way you like and _write it down_. Some people
advocate clockwise others counter clockwise but
consistency is even more important.
The first few times will be awkward as you figure out
how you like all the "bits" to go (slope of the
string, length of the string etc). Just about
everyone I have seen winding this way has their own
way of doing it.
What I love about this is the low tech nature. On my
pillow, I keep a string with a plastic ring notted to
it - I like to put the ring over my thumb instead of
holding it. But I can also use just about anything
(and then I knot a loop in the end so I can loop it
over my thumb). There is no setup so to speak and it
is very fast once you do it a few dozen times.
Especially since switching between bobbins is so fast.
And although some bobbins are easier than others to
do this way because of the way in which they were
made, it works with almost all types). Oh and the
looks on lacemakers' faces when they first see this
done is priceless!
Give it a try sometime (but _not_ when preparing a
whole bunch of bobbins in a hurry -that is not the
time to experiment!).
Good luck,
Nicole
near Albany NY
where we are having a very
muggy summer.
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