Joseph (and anyone else interested)
If you want to check what was written in the handbook (it's a bit dated now, even though I think I updated some of the info re long gone websites when I posted it) you should be able to find it in the Archives (search for posts with my name and handbook). There were two parts to it originally. I think I've still got the files saved, but having changed computer to laptop and also changed ISP over the years, might not be able to lay my mouse on it quickly. It isn't all rules, some of it is the history of things like why we have two lists when we started with one, what exchanges were going on then (we've done bookmarks, Christmas ornaments, Christmas cards....) and so on, plus a bit of netiquette for those who don't know. Timely reminders like remember some lacemakers may have young children reading over their shoulders (mine have grown up, left home and had their own children in the time I've been on the list - frightening, isn't it?) so mind your language and censor the jokes (it's what chat is for!). Remember not all countries have their celebrations at the same time, so some will be busy with family life when others have nothing other than the computer to amuse them - it's also difficult when your children have flown the nest, especially if you live on your own, to remember when school/college terms start and finish, and how much time they took up! Those times can be particularly stressful, and it is often when a joke can be taken the wrong way - fortunately flaming these days is rare, but there have been times in the run up to Thanksgiving/Christmas when, like all 'families', we've squabbled amongst ourselves. On top of that, we've had some laughs over the years (very politically incorrect these days) because of the difference in UK/Aussie humour and US humour - and I well remember the discussions over the US question of what on earth we (UK/Australia) need a lace cake band for - we said we used royal icing on our Christmas cakes and it was to hide a multitude of flaws in our icing skills where the sides of the cake were concerned - they asked 'royal icing, what's that?????' - and as for Marmite..... I'm sure the other long-in-the-tooth Arachnes will remember it well! But through it all, in the days of learning to communicate internationally, we learnt a lot not only about lace, but how others see things, and gradually worked out how not to upset people. We've seen new 'faces' join, we've seen others leave the list or, sadly, leave this world altogether. Their words of wisdom live on in the Archives - that is somewhere else that Arachne has an edge over Facebook - finding something that was posted two days ago is easy on Arachne, on Facebook it can take months! The main advice is never to worry that you have asked a silly question, or that it has been asked on several occasions before. You *may* get someone telling you to go and look it up, but that is off-putting to a beginner, and it may mean another week of a very quiet list because everyone is racking their brains for something brand new to say!!! I'm sure we have discussed pincushions before, but I have never heard of the wire wool and soap idea. I have been told that using polyester (of the toy stuffing variety) can blunt/dull the pins, and learnt enough in science at school, and in practice since, to know that brass tarnishes (as does silver) when exposed to moisture and air, and that one of the components of brass - copper - will gain a coating of verdigris, especially when it is in contact with the acid in pricking card, and this will leave a turquoise/blue stain on your lace if you leave the pins in for too many years.... which reminds me, maybe 2017 is time to get on with the piece of Honiton I started under the watchful eye of the late Christine Hawken and is still on my pillow! (The solution to tarnished brass pins is also to be found in the Archives... don't chuck them away, use a bowl of water with a bit of vinegar and a drop or two of washing up liquid - soak them for a while and they will come up like new again.) The 'problem' I have is that the hyperlink to the flickr page brings up an attached photograph of a young man at a table with several pots of yoghurt on it - presumably advertising of some sort - and this happens every time the link is repeated, especially when posts are not trimmed (and I've made that mistake a couple of times recently, too!!). Jane Partridge Roughly in the middle of England ________________________________ From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Joseph Young <[email protected]> Sent: 02 January 2017 15:12 Subject: Re: [lace] Arachne Flickr page I tried to download the "handbook" from Majordomo server, but i got an error message telling me that there was no such file. I didn't want to breach any of your rules when posting, so i have been mainly posting replies. -- Regards, Joseph - 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/
