Hi Marianne: Structurally there is no difference between these two methods, which are called the ‘open pin’ (TTTC) or the ‘closed pin’ (CTTT) method, and Chantilly can be made either way. (In Ulrike Voelcker’s book “The Grammar of Point Ground” she uses the closed pin method.)
With the open pin method, at the end of the stitch all of the threads are hanging side by side with no twists. As a result, if a bobbin gets out of place, it is very easy for beginners to see the mistake. With the closed pin method, all the the pairs are left twisted and for beginners, if one bobbin hops over another it can be difficult to see the problem. What method is used depends on the teacher’s method and teaching plan. It is helpful for you if, in following the book, you do the lace the way the teacher says, because there will be a difference if the teacher has specified additional twists. For example, if the teacher is using the open method and is laying in a gimp, she might have directions that read something like “put up the pin at A and put two twists on the right-hand pair”. If you are using the closed pin method you will already have three twists on that pair, and you need to realize that you ought to take off one twist, rather than put on two more. If you start using the open pin method just for this book, I am sure you will soon find it quite easy. When I was brand new to lacemaking, I learned from Doris Southward’s book, which uses the open method. The first time I had a teacher, it was at a conference, and she used the closed pin method. It was not an easy class for either me or the teacher, but I think having the early exposure to both working methods made me a much better lacemaker in the end. Adele West Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) > I am thinking of starting some Chantilly lace, which I have never done > before. I have the workshop book by Lia Baumeister, and looking at it I > am a bit confused. I have done Buckspoint, which is very similar, with > quite a few stitches the same, but I am seeing with this book that some > seem to be backwards. > For one thing, the footside is on the left, while I am used to having > the footside on the right. That should be easy enough to get used to, > but what will really throws me off is that the ground stitch is done > backwards, she does it TTTC, while with Bucks it is CTTT. Am I going to > run into problems if I do it CTTT as well in the Chantilly? The same > with the honeycomb stitch, which in Bucks is CTTpinCTT, but in the > Chantilly is TTCpinTTC. > Now I am wondering if this is just a quirk of Lia's or if Chantilly lace > is really done different from Bucks. That really makes me question if I > want to even attempt Chantilly, because I am going to have trouble > remembering which way I am supposed to do the stitches depending on > which lace I am working on. > > *Marianne* - 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/
