I called into Frank Herrings in Dorchester today which is a shop listed in
many of the lace books for some years, so I expected them to have all the
colours in all the sizes, <g> but when we asked if they had any enamelled
wire they said no but then showed us some small spools and a few circles of
wire. I attempted to find the size (having taken some info with me from my
book) and in the end chose a green spool to try out.
When I used the other wire which is 24 gauge, I wound it around a bobbin
which is obviously a huge part of the kinking problem so I wondered it I cut
a suitable length of the new wire, anchoured it down with a pin at the start
and then pushed it around the pattern with my fingers as I go without using
a bobbin at all, if it might work ok. So I am going to try it and see, then
I can buy some more when we go back for the return visit within the next
couple of weeks.
Thank you Tamara, I will keep that site in reserve for if I think I will be
using a number of colours of it when I can buy them all at once once our
postal strike is all settled. At least being able to see and handle this
one and then try it is a good starting point.
Many thanks for all the useful information and tips. They make very
interesting reading.
Sue T, Dorset UK
If your wire gimp is crinkling, then I suggest that it's too fine a wire
for the project. Your wire should bend readily but hold it's shape once
it is put in place. In the USA, the craft shops carry a package of
colored wires for general craft use and this wire works very well in lace
flowers. Your craft shops might have a similar wire. I don't know the
official gauge of this wire. A firm colored wire can make a nice outside
edge of a flower
An excellent source of all kinds/gauges of craft wire (icluding fine
enough to make lace with), in UK:
http://www.wires.co.uk/
Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/
Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland)
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