In a message dated 18/04/2005 07:36:59 GMT Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> I have just been talking to a lacemaking friend, who has had a bad go with > a > reel of Finka - #60 I think. It has put her off ever using it again, but I > suspect she may have a bad reel, as I have not had any problems. I bought a reel of Finca 100 to use for Milanese when I was about to do the pieces for Pat Read's new book. I wound bobbins and started with the Split Braids piece. As I wound I noticed that in places the thread was slubby, like a linen thread, and I did think this was unusual for a cotton thread; particularly when it had been so highly recommended. As I began work I had broken threads, far more than I would expect for this weight thread, and eventually e-mailed Roseground to query it. Pat said I could send it back if I wanted, and that she would query it with the rep. (I have since heard from her that he implies it is impossible for there to be a fault, it must be me. Bad workman blames her materials!) As I had the first braid interlock done, I decided to keep using it for that piece, wound the bobbins for the next set and soldiered on and it did get better. When it came off the pillow, I liked the crispness of it and I had stopped having problems with breaks, so I thought maybe I had been heavy handed and just needed to get used to it. As I now had all these bobbins wound, I went straight on to Basil and I think only had one or two broken threads in all of it. Recently I have been working some new, white designs and having two bobbins cases full of bowed-off bobbins from Split Braids and Basil (they both needed lots of pairs), that's what I used. I am getting to the very end or *beginning* of the thread off the reel and am finding the slubs again (so I hadn't imagined them) and am being very gentle because it's not as strong as the rest of the reel was. I have nearly finished a snail and will empty the bobbins when I have. Enough is enough. And maybe find some slubby bits to send to Pat to show the rep. Soooo, there was at the start of this reel an amount of thread enough to wind about 30 full bobbins (say 5 metres each) which was of a lower quality to the rest of the reel. I don't think it's just that the outside layers had got dry as I tried all the usually helpful humidifying tactics, and this would not explain the slubs. May I suggest that before your friend abandons Finca entirely, she pulls off a quantity of thread and sees if it is any better elsewhere on the reel. Also that she returns the reel to the supplier if at all possible for comment from the manufacturer. I have just bought another reel of 100, and some of the other thicknesses as well to try, so despite the shaky start I am another convert to Finca. Jacquie - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
