As far as I can see, there are two reason why I wouldn't 'encourage' a new lacemaker to move bobbins by picking up the spangles.
The first is that the spangles need to be replaced more frequently. This I know as I went through a phase as a new, self-taught lacemaker of moving my bobbins in exactly this way! The second is that it is not easy to work at anything but fairly slowly. It was when I was first 'out in public' with other lacemakers and realised how much faster even the slowest of them were compared to me, and that they were handling the body of the bobbin not the loop on the end, that I broke the habit and my speed increased. I know that lacemaking isn't a race, but it is slow enough anyway without making it slower than it needs to be. Having said that, if anyone wants to work any way at all, either from choice or necessity, then that is fine by me. I might suggest other ways to try, but each to their own. I am far more pernickety about their tensioning the threads as and after they have moved the bobbins than how the bobbins get moved. Jacquie in Lincolnshire - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
