Lace is just two stitches, cross and twist, just as knitting is two stitches, knitting and purling. But, in the case of the student that I was describing, who was an excellent knitter, she found lace to be an order of magnitude more difficult to learn. Why was that? How is lace not like knitting? Is it because there are only two stitches, the cross and twist, but there are actually three stitches that are different combinations of the two stitches, half stitch, linen stitch, and whole stitch? Is it because sometimes you move horizontally, sometimes diagonally? Is it because you work with four threads, known as two pairs, the composition of which changes constantly? Is it because you move diagonally toward the edge, and then after working the edge have to find the worker? I know that I am not a successful teacher and the only people I ever tried to teach never really understood it. I was surprised one day to talk to a friend who has taught many, many beginner classes and she confessed that she didn't think anyone she had started had ever gone on with it. So, if it is only two stitches, like knitting, why is it so hard to learn? Devon
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