Another "I don't know what it is so I'll call it a lace bobbin" on Ebay. Bone, turned, around three and a half inches long with a hollow centre. Any ideas? My first thought was to wind yardage as it's worked, but that would be straight across the middle and not dip in.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-or-Antique-Turned-Lace-Bobbin-/40065613651 1 ?pt=UK_Crafts_Lace_Making_ET&hash=item5d48f7793f tinied: http://tinyurl.com/nntydkv Jean Nathan in Poole, Dorset, UK ----------------------------------------------- >From Jeri: Here is an opportunity for one of our young members to become our expert on lace tools! Perhaps someone who collects them. (Did you read my memo yesterday about our need for experts?) All you require in this computerized world is the ability to do research, and to ask the who? what? when? where? why? While finishing up this reply (close to 3 hours of back and forth to my library, etc), Cynthia has weighed in that this is definitely a knife rest. I'm releasing my memo anyway, because it teaches by example how to ask questions, think, and eliminate unlikely possibilities. I was looking at the one photo that comes up. It does not show the ends as being open like a bead, as one Arachne member has written. Before I read this bead possibility, I thought the ends looked closed and smooth. Here are my notes based on closed ends. I do not know how to recover the complete description some replies have mentioned. Not like any needlework tool I remember in my books, and I've just closely looked again at 5 of the best. It has a slight resemblance to a tool used for darning gloves. But, for this purpose, why are both ends the same? Why grooves that would snag? Wouldn't points of needles damage the surface? They rule this purpose out, glass, metal or wood being more suitable as darners. Glove darners usually have a long handle at one end, and a bulbous shape at the darning end that stretched fabric so one could see what needed repair and held the fabric so repairs could be done. This looks to be the correct size with the center narrowed area being what one would grip. Still, why the grooves? Why ivory/bone? Why 2 darning ends? As presented, it makes no sense as a "spool". If hollow, it seems very tightly shut at the points where parts meet, making it unsuitable for storing old needles. If moisture got trapped inside, needles might rust. Still, this might be the answer. The 3 1/2" length is correct for this purpose, Agnes. If this is as smooth as it appears, it could be used now to polish lace - as lobster shells were once used. Think of aficots used by French lace makers to polish and remove small slubs from finished needle lace. But, it makes no sense for this ivory/bone implement to have started out for this purpose. The lace makers needing to polish their laces were very poor, and smooth lobster claw aficots would have been free. If this is for the dining table, as Brian suggests, I think it is more likely a chopsticks rest or maybe for an old writing implement - pen rest (but wet ink pens would stain it). I have 4 sets of jade chopsticks from my trip to China in the 1980s. They came with small jade rests 1 3/4" in length and carved to be lower in the center top, presumably to keep chopstick tips off the table surface? Anyone have books with table settings and writing implements? I do not think bone or ivory is suitable for a knife rest, though maybe they were what was available (and easily replaced) for use by children. I do not remember knives being offered at dining tables in the Orient. Cutting and cubing was done in the kitchen to make food of a size that chopsticks could manage. I have antique cut glass ones that are more appropriate for the sharpened blades used in Western cultures to carve meat 100 years ago. The rest length on these is 2", with quite large round ends that are very fancy. These could raise the knife up quite a bit from the tablecloth, were easily cleaned, did not stain, were elegant. Better photos on Ebay, and easy way to retrieve dealer's notes, would help. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center -------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 1/31/2014, [email protected] writes: If you want a non needlework tool suggestion, then a "Knife Rest" might fit the bill. (Keep it off the table cloth!!!!!) Brian --------------------- It says it has a hollow centre, so one must be able to open it: a needle case? Agnes Boddington - Elloughton UK -------------------------------------------------------------------- Another "I don't know what it is so I'll call it a lace bobbin" on Ebay. Bone, turned, around three and a half inches long with a hollow centre. Any ideas? My first thought was to wind yardage as it's worked, but that would be straight across the middle and not dip in. - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
