On Feb 25, 2007, at 11:54, beth wrote:
Last time we discussed how far back up the work one needs to leave the
pins
in, someone (Tamara, IIRR) pointed out that it isn't how many inches
or how
many repeats that matter, but how many rows of pins you leave in.
Yeah, it was me; I'm obsessive that way :) In some laces, an inch of
lace means a thread is "anchored" by 4 stitches; in fine laces, it's
30. Ditto for repeats -- some are short and some are very elaborate. So
there's *no logic* to saying 2 inches. What if your lace is miniature
and *totals* less than an inch in length?
So.... how many rows do I need to leave in?
I tend to leave about 10-12 at the footsides (and equi-distant,
horizontally, at the headside. Which, if scalloped, will have more pins
per inch than the footside) even if I have to push them down, flat with
the pillow. It's probably more than is necessary, but better safe than
sorry especially with those straight-down, untwisted, passives which
dwell next to the footside (gathering thread).
Inside, it doesn't need to be even as much, half of the time. Usually,
5-6 rows will hold the shape sufficiently well. That's because the
inside threads don't stay in the same plane very long -- they change
direction, which, in itself, "fixes" them in place. The exceptions to
that are likely to come in motifs which have "oblique cloth" (like some
of the snowflakes in Binche and the cloth in very old or Freehand
laces). In those, the change of direction of some of the pairs is so
slight, it doesn't do you much good. Also, the *kind* of thread you use
will make a difference too. In Ulrike Löhr's workshop (Snowflake quilt)
It occurs to me that one could figure out the length of lace the pins
need to stay in by closely observing the beginning of the piece. At
what point did the threads stop feeling like a rudderless sloop on
rough seas and began to feel anchored, even if you tensioned them with
a good tug, and *even* if you tensioned a single thread at a time
(which, someties, is necessary)? That's your minimum.
But there's an exception to that, as well :) It hinges on the *kind* of
thread you use. Linen has the most resistance/friction, so needs fewest
pins to hold it in place. Cotton is a bit slicker, so needs more. And
silk, even the matte kind, needs the most.
I'm working a torchon pattern in
fine thread (Finca 80), 10 footside pinholes to the inch, and each
pattern
repeat is only 4 pinholes long (!) Leaving the pins in for two repeats
would
only be 8 rows -not enough- but leaving a couple of inches worth in
would be
twenty rows of tightly-packed pins.
Leave the *footside* pins in for 3 repeats (12 pins). Leave them in for
1.5 (6 rows) or 2 (8 rows) repeats inside. It should be enough to hold.
Though I must say I concur with everyone else; if you're not short of
pins, and unless they're getting in the way (as they might, on a
roller), why remove them at all until you *have to*?
If your pattern has any spiders, I'd remove the central pins in those
as soon-as-soon (ie, as soon as each of the exiting "legs" is anchored
by one, two at the most, stitches), to avoid the "nipple" which tends
to form around it. But, otherwise, why worry? It's one of those few
situations in life where excess can't do any harm :)
--
Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/
Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland)
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