An alternative to hackle pliers are surgical forceps (hemostat in the US) or a mini test clip adapter availble in packs of two from electrical shops such as Radio Shack or Maplins. The mini test clips don't hold the thread as tightly as hackle pliers, but are easier to use if you have difficulty squeezing. I find forceps easier than hackle pliers because the squeezing action uses the whole hand rather than just the fingers.
They've all been discussed several times on Arachne, and can be viewed in the lace Arachne archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/lace@arachne.com/maillist.html#03505 Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
