I have added three more photos to Flickr showing a beautiful Russian Lace rooster made by Jacqui Tinch from a design in Motieven in Kleur. They show how colour can be used to great effect in Kopeck Spiders. Jacqui has this to say about making Kopeck Spiders:
"Kopeck is the term we were taught when studying Russian lacemaking at the Moscow Institute of Arts. Normally the basic legs are put in by going straight across from one side to the other, then along the edge to the next one - this makes a stronger and less bulky centre than going into the centre and back out again. The order needs to be carefully worked out before you start as you have to finish at the correct place to re-enter the braid and continue around the design. When you do the last leg you plait only as far as the centre, pin two threads very tightly to where the final plait will re-enter the braid and use the threads as if they are a plait; because they are making a straight line from the last sewing you did at the edge it is possible to get good tension on this. Pins are not necessary in the centre as all the plaits are crossing at roughly the same place. Using the remaining pair, you do sewings under each bar in turn (in the same manner that you would if you are doing a false plait, and always pull the sewings towards the centre, particularly on the first round or two where the plaits are being held all to the same centre crossing. The bobbins naturally alternate with each other, ie the one which did the sewing on leg 1 being the one which threads through the loop on the leg 2 and then does a sewing again on leg 3. Because of this alternating, if you are working in colour you have the choice of which colours to use for the kopeck. Assuming your plait was worked in two colours (Arranged abba to give a pleasing barley twist effect to the plait), you can pin out both colour a and work around with b, pin out b and use a, or pin out one a and one b in which case you will have alternating segments of each colour rather like windmill sails. You can change the order as you work to make patterns by swopping threads when you reach the two pinned out ones. Use a temporary pin to hold the last sewing before the swop until it is supported by the next round of sewings. When your kopeck is as large as you want it to be, put a temporary pin tight into the right angle made by the pairs doing the sewings and the pairs pinned out, rescue the pinned out pairs and plait to the edge pulling the plait very tight for the first few stitches. The temporary pin will hold the last round of sewings up tight to the centre." I hope this helps anybody looking to use this method. Cheers, Clare - 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/
