This website is mostly about strip lace, where you start with a number of bobbins, and keep all of those bobbins throughout the lace. The lace keeps a more-or-less constant width throughout. However, even with strip lace, some patterns require you to add or remove pairs of bobbins while working the lace. This may happen at a corner, for example.
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The new pair of bobbins will need to be added at a particular pin. You can spot this (if you have not been told which pin) as there will be one pair of threads entering the pin and two leaving it. |
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The easiest way to do this is by using a false starting pin. Put this in somewhere above the actual pin. It is not too important where, except it must be above the actual pin, quite close to it, and not in the way of the rest of your lace working. Hang the new pair from this. The green lines are each a pair of threads. |
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Work the new pair and the incoming pair with the appropriate stitch at the actual pin. |
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Take out the false starting pin, and gently pull the new pair of threads through, so they now hang on the proper starting pin. This is the same technique used to start lace with a diagonal edge. |
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If you have added a pair of bobbins, then you may be expected to remove a pair later on. (This may not be the same pair!) This will happen at a particular pin, which you can spot, as two pairs enter the pin but only one leaves it. |
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Work the stitch at this final pin. |
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Identify which pair that you are going to remove. Knot the pair round the pair with a square or reef knot. Cut the bobbins off. It is probably best not to trim the threads close to the knot yet, so leave the ends. There are a lot of threads close-by, still being worked, and you don't want to cut one of those by mistake! When you have finished the whole lace, you can trim these ends closer - but not too close or the knot may come undone! |
© Jo Edkins 2016 - return to lace index