Well - 'before bobbin lace' for me was also 'before arthritis', and I
was a glider pilot, being an instructor and doing well in competitions.
But I did wear woolies that I'd knitted myself, usually the heavy
Icelandic type, with a circular yoke, done on many needles. I'm not
supposed to knit at all now, but I sneak in a few stitches every so
often, with the sock or jumper carefully supported, and still using lots
of needles, or a circular needle. Or I knit little Gunnister purses,
using silk yarn, for gifts.
The physiotherapists officially approved my bobbin lace - I had to take
in a pillow to show how it was done - because it uses the hands more
evenly than knitting. Little did they know, I'd have done it anyway,
since I was hooked on lacemaking from the moment I saw someone working
on a pillow at a Women's Institute meeting.
It's been very hard for the last three years to give it up, but I knew
I'd never get through my university courses unless I concentrated
completely. At least I've been able to indulge in reading the Arachne
messages now and again, so that I didn't feel completely cut off.
Recently, I 've been doing some research on lace in the eighteenth
century: not the making,but the stealing. It seems to have been quite
a major activity, from the number of people who came up in court at the
Old Bailey in London. Some of what they stole was gold and silver lace,
these used quite a lot of real bullion. Some of it was thread lace:
stolen ruffles and such, or clothing with lace on it from houses, or
shoplifting pieces. Some of it was major thefts, such as all the stock
from a shop, or everything a dealer was carrying from here in
Buckinghamshire to a dealer in London. Despite the legends, there seems
to have been very little lace smuggling, tea and brandy seem to have
been more popular. (Maybe you were less likely to be caught?)
Later this year I'm looking forward to getting out a pillow again: I'm
afraid I will have completely forgotten how to do it. Still, it won't
hurt to learn afresh - it's surprising what you notice second-time round
that you completely missed the first time.
Thank you, everyone, for being there.
Linda Walton,
in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, U.K.
where the Sun has just come out after heavy rain
Ah - April!
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