Speaking of bookmarks, I'm in the process of making some for Christmas gifts. I've used one pattern from Gillian Dye's book on Lacemaking for Beginners, and I would like to know if there is a way of figuring out in advance how much thread to have on your bobbins. Any tips? I'm using cotton thread for mine, so it doesn't "hurt" to throw the leftover thread away, but if I were using linen, which is more expensive and harder to obtain, I would feel differently about it.
If you can read the pattern properly you will be able to tell if there are any pairs which are workers throughout the pattern. Usually the worker pair(s) in a outside fan or zig-zag trail running the full length of the pattern. The bobbins for those pairs will need more thread - perhaps a good armful for a bookmark. The others will only need about twice the length of the pattern plus a few inches for the leash.
Now as far as lacemaking goes, I consider myself a rank beginner - I have yet to work my way through a book for beginners. I'm not good at things requiring manual dexterity, which is precisely why I decided to take up BL,
to force myself to work at my dexterity, or lack of same. I've learned twist-cross, whereas most of the English-speaking world does cross-twist - right? Or do I have it reversed? (It's very early as I write - the change from daylight saving time to standard is doing me in!) In any case - for the benefit of any other newbies out there - I discovered for myself that the two systems are interchangeable, as long as you watch where the twists come. With spiders I had to put an extra twist for the upper legs,
and one fewer for the lower legs, and it worked out exactly right. If I can do it, anyone can!
I think you mean the "open" and "closed" methods of working.
The "closed" method (usually used in England and English books) is where you work, for instance, torchon ground as: CTpinCT and leaves the pairs twisted. The "open" method (more usually used in Continental books) is TCTpinC and leaves the pairs untwisted.
To work a spider (after ground stitches) with the usual three twists on each leg: in the closed method you add two more twists and in the open method you add all three twists. At the lower end of the spider you twist each leg three times, though if you are using the open method you'll get into a better rhythm if you make two twists whilst completing the spider and the third when working the next ground stitch.
Either method is OK just so long as you are not working back to front which is what I did right at the beginning - I remember it well as I had to un-learn what I thought I'd learned the previous week!
Cloth stitch, CTC is 2 over 3, 2&4 over 1&3, 2 over 4 (I was working 3over2, 1&3 over 2&4, 3over2)
Twisting of spider legs should be right over left, right over left, right over left.
And lastly, any tips on mounting said bookmarks would be much appreciated.
Personally I don't like using the plastic sleeves, I can never get the lace inside without it getting distorted. I prefer to stiffen the lace with starch or pva. If it was a really special bookmark you could stitch it onto ribbon, but then you'd need to attach another layer of ribbon to cover up the stitches on the back.
Brenda
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