Now my story's a little different than most.. I've had one bobbin lace
lesson, it was years ago and my pillow sits largely lonely and empty until
my life settles a bit to give me more time at home. Unlike folks who have
already gotten the skills, I'm still at the learning stage where it takes me
15 mins to figure out what the heck I'm doing. Not exactly food court
practical yet.
Perhaps about 7 yrs ago.. I learned to knit and crochet. I decided, very
quickly, that I did not much care for the look of crochet in large yarn..
but thread crochet.. now /that/ I didnt mind the look of. So, not yet able
to tension full sized crochet, I got myself a ball of crochet cotton, a tiny
little hook and a 'teach yourself thread crochet book'. I can still remember
sitting at the bus stop, having bought the stuff at the local 'craft and
plant centre', waiting to go home and trying over and over again to even
make a chain with the thread and hook that small. (size 10 cotton, size 7
hook). Took me a few weeks, but I got it. And ruined my wrist. Crochet got
put on a shelf as every stitch was agony. I needed to ADORE a crochet
pattern before I braved doing it. Still do for that matter.
Around the same time, I learned to knit. Took well enough to that with
chunky thread and big needles.. made a few things and then found myself (and
my spouse) unemployed. I didnt have enough money to buy balls and balls of
yarn for a sweater, but /did/ have that forgotten ball of crochet cotton.. I
had, by this point, my grandmother's knitting needles and got out that size
10 cotton and some little knitting pins and taught myself to knit lace.
There, I found my love. It was like a duck into water, me into lace
knitting. No one told me it was supposed to be hard when I started, it just
seemed like a good way to get a whole lotta knitting out of a ball of cotton
that had cost me $1.29.
<grin> Now both my husband and I work full time, and I've got <mumblemumble>
rubbermaid totes full of yarn and cotton and have recently splurged into
laceweight wool/silk (Zephyr for the knitters) for some shawls. It's a long
long way from knitting for economy!
I found arachne somewhere in this journey, mostly for chat, although I
wandered back and forth on and off the lace-devoted list until I decided
that perhaps just reading about bobbin lace might osmose some knowledge for
when I get back to it. It's a theory!
Oh and I've tried tatting. I try tatting about every year or so, get
tangled, swear a lot, cut it off and throw it out. I will master it before I
die. Yes, I've tried needle, shuttle, books, internet videos and real honest
to goodness tatters in person. I think it might be hopeless.
Heather -- who is currently knitting lace with chunky wool and big needles,
it's terribly odd!
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