Catherine wrote:> Good morning all
> My goodness, how would we manage without Jeri!
It is very, very, quiet, without Jeri's posts, Cathy! (Some of you may
remember me mentioning a while back that there seems to be some sort of
conflict between Outlook/Live and AOL, so I don't see posts from most AOL
users; I suppose really I should switch to digest).
Thank you, also, for quoting the relevant parts of the message that everyone
is responding to; without any clue as to the preceding posts I was beginning
to wonder what had been complained about.
I'm lurking at the moment due to lack of time - the same lack of time that
prevents me hunting through the archives every time I want to check something
quickly. I don't think anyone should be put off asking a question just because
someone might have asked a similar question in the past. Sometimes the answers
change - especially with changes in available thread (many of those we were
using ten years ago are no longer available to a new lacemaker), changes in
chemical composition of dyestuffs, changes in the types of thread and, these
days, yarn, that we use to make lace. I suspect that Jeri will agree that
there have been changes to the advice given and products used for cleaning and
conservation even during her lifetime, and things will continue to change, so
relying purely on answers given on the list during the last twenty years may
result in frustration at times, even if most of the replies are still
relevant.
Shortly after we started the list, a very useful handbook was compiled by
Patty Dowden and this was supposed to be forwarded automatically to new
Arachne members. I think this stopped with a change of server at some point,
certainly some of the information is now out of date but it does give
interesting pointers as to the history of the list (including why there are
two lists), how to post, the request not to cross-post, netiquette, and why at
certain times of year different nationalities/cultures on the list are a bit
stressed and likely to snap at each other (things did tend to get rather
fraught during the run up to October half term (UK)/Halloween and Thanksgiving
in the States though that has calmed down over the last few years, possibly
due to the general slow down in message traffic and I think, most of us no
longer have the houseful of teenagers that we had 10-20 years ago! In the
early years it did take us a little bit of time to get used to the differences
in sense of humour between the different nations - and the different meanings
attached to words (eg explaining why we use lace for cake bands here in the
UK, and what Royal Icing is).
I still have a copy of the handbook saved as a Word document, which I can
forward if anyone wants a copy (contact me off list) or copy and paste into a
message to the list if that would be helpful (I don't think that will
contravene copyright owing to the original intentions for the handbook).
Jane partridgemous...@live.co.uk
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