Hi Beth I find twisting makes all the difference. It sounds a lot but I twist 20-25 times. Another tip is to occasionally place a finger between the two twists and slide some up into the work; that way you don't get 'tram lines' (especially in half stitch) and the twists bind the two threads into a narrower unit. Keep assessing the effect your actions are having, what makes the result better, what makes it worse and what makes no difference and can be omitted as it is a waste of time.
Keep lacemaking Alex ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beth Marshall" <[email protected]> To: "Alex Stillwell" <[email protected]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 8:46 AM Subject: Re: [lace] Knotting threads onto bobbins > Thanks Alex > > I've been doing this ever since I started lacemaking, except that I'd > never heard of twisting the > two threads together - even without that the joins are unobtrusive in > cloth stitch or cloth-and- > twist areas, but it doesn't work in half stitch. I'll try the twists next > time and see how the look > compares. > > Beth > NW England > > Alex wrote: > Traditionally the >> English lace workers would keep working until the bobbin dropped off then >> tie on a short length of waste thread with a weavers' knot. They would >> work until there was just sufficient thread left to make a join when a >> new >> thread was knotted to a pin at the side, brought down through the pins >> and >> both threads twisted. They would continue working with the twisted thread >> until the join was stable, perhaps about 1 inch (2.5cm), when the >> remaining twists were removed and the knotted thread laid back and cut >> off >> later. I have been using this method for years and you cannot see the >> joins. > > - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
