Now if you are seriously into making your own equipment and happen to have Lego round the house:
http://www.geocities.com/atatter.geo/kieth_enevoldsen.html
and if you get bored of paper bobbins, this message was posted a long time back:
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 12:45:02 -0500 From: Virginia Berringer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [lace] Bobbins-Paper
Dianna mentions bead bobbins. These are a very practical solution to getting
started with very little investment. I've used them, and include them in the
beginners kits I put together for workshops.
It's been quite awhile since I sent instructions for these to the list. I
thought someone had asked about adding them to the FAQ, but I just looked there
and didn't find it, so I'm sending it again, since there are many new lacemakers
on the list since it last appeared.
You'll need: wooden dowel 1/8 inch diameter, or the appropriate diameter to fit
through your beads.
Beads: most often I use plastic pony beads--they're incredibly cheap and readily
available. Pony beads are similar in shape to seed beads, being wider than they
are tall, and measure about 1/4 inch in diameter and about 3/16 inches high, and
have a large hole. Usually craft shops also have plastic beads with holes the
same size as the pony beads in various shapes like butterflies, stars, hearts,
etc. They're a bit more expensive, but a few mixed in with the regular round
beads help prevent rolling. I've also used wooden beads.
Glue--I have used hot glue, thick white glue, Elmer's when really pushed, but it
takes a long time to dry, and doesn't hold as well.
To make a bobbin:
1. Cut the dowel into suitable lengths. I like 4 1/4 inches. You don't need a
saw for this. Because the dowel is so thin, you can cut it with an Xacto or
craft knife. Place the dowel on a pad of newspaper, or other surface you don't
mind cutting, and, with firm pressure, roll the knife around the wood. A sharp
knife will usually cut through on one rotation.
2. Glue one bead at one end of the dowel.
3. Glue about 11 pony beads to the other end of the dowel. This should leave
you with something looking like this:
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Substituting one or more shaped beads among the beads on the shaft of the bobbin
discourages rolling, and adds decoration. These beads are available in many
colors and finishes. I found the metallic silver/gold ones lost their shine very
quickly with handling. The number of beads needed on the bobbin will vary
depending upon the length of the original dowel, how much neck you want to leave
for winding on the thread, and how many shaped beads you use. The hearts I've
used are about twice the height of the regular pony beads.
After the glue has dried, put an additional generous dab of glue at each end of
the bobbin so the hole is filled and sealed to the dowel firmly.
By buying the large bags of pony beads, and using one or two shaped beads per
bobbin, the cost of these is only about ten to fifteen cents each, even less is
you watch for sales..
For a class where I needed continental bobbins and didn't have enough that were
not already involved, I made a batch of these with wooden beads, with a small
bead as the head, and as the first bead below the neck, and graduated size beads
down to the largest at the bottom.
There are lots of variations possible, and these are simple enough to make that
children could make their own, and I think they'd love the bright colors.. When
I taught it at our guild, everyone had a great time selecting colors, and working
out patterns of beads.
Ginni Berringer Akron, Ohio USA
- -Others have used meat skewers / bamboo skewers
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