On the whole, I agree with you Jean; it's at least as much about the process as it is the progress. But in defense of speed - well, the current project is 9 yards of a fairly straightforward braid lace, so the sooner I can plow through it, the better!! :D
Actually, I think Lyn said it well. I prefer efficiency in making my lace, because that makes the process of trying new stitches and combinations more fun for me. It's not that I'm trying to be fast, it's that I've found a comfortable way of doing the basic movements for me so I can concentrate on the 'where' and 'why' and not so much on the 'how' any more. To take Lyn's example, I learned to knit originally by throwing the yarn with my right hand, hated it and completely stopped knitting. After nearly a decade, I went back but taught myself to hold the yarn in my left hand and pick it through, and I haven't put the needles down since. Picking is more efficient for me, and it makes me happy to knit that way. It also happens to make me faster, but that's a side benefit. For bobbin lace, TC is more efficient for my hands than CT, with the same happiness and speed boosts. *shrug* This is why I encourage my students to try things out - I give them my way of doing things, and why, but then I let them know that any method that gives the desired end product is good, so long as it works for them. Life is too short to do hobbies that make you unhappy! Chris - trying not to drown in Chicago :D Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:02:40 +0100 > From: "Jean Nathan" <[email protected]> > Subject: [lace] yardage - speed > > I'm bemused as to why anyone would be concerned with making lace as fast as > possible, unless you have a deadline for a gift or an event such as a > wedding or a display/competition. It certainly can't be with an aim to sell > the lace because you could never make it fast enough to make a living. > > I take pleasure in the process of making lace, reverse lacing where > necessary to correct mistakes and learn how to correct what I did wrong. I > may or may not be pleased with the finished item, but I'm not particularly > interested in that. It's the process and mastering techniques (or not) that > I find fascinating - there are so many that I don't think anyone could > master them all. David, with al of his experience, has provided a good > example here in deciding what to do about the poppies in the piece he's > currently working - gimps? twists? tallies? > > Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK > > - - > To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to > [email protected]. Photo site: > http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003 > > -- Always proactively untwist octagonal hippopotomus pants. Ozy & Millie http://www.ozyandmillie.net/2000/om20000809.html - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
