# Any bobbin lacemakers? (or wood turners?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 7, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684 "2009-03-07T22:38:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/21 "2009-03-09T02:33:48Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Is there some reason these bobbins have to be turned from wood instead of molded from plastic? Other than tradition? Weight, friction, that kind of thing. I spose if you put enough design effort into weighting it correctly, and maybe encasing the “neck” in a soft rubber, it might work just as well. Mostly I think it’s economy of, um, non-scale: it’s close to a lost art. Even as a lifelong textile artist, I’ve only met two people who do it, including that lady when I was 8. There probably isn’t anywhere near enough of a market to justify any kind of mass production. Might be cool to tool some out of acrylic bars though! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/22 "2009-03-09T02:34:55Z")
> [@Helena](#): > > I know very little about bobbin lace (though I had a similar experience watching a guy at a folk festival once–watched a while, asked some questions, and he let me do a little), but I know of a lady who does this and I’m pretty sure she just uses spoons. That sounds interesting. I can’t see it working when I try it in my head, but you never know till you try. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/23 "2009-03-09T04:01:35Z")
wow really? I know tons of people in the US that make bobbin lace, in fact I find it mildly annoying because I am more interested in needle worked laces like drawn work or cut work and reticella and punta in aria. most people in the lace making societies are making bobbin lace. I am in the Society for Creative Anachronism which is where I have met most of the lace makers. I don’t see why an 8 year old couldn’t do bobbin lace but it is a bit less forgiving than macrame with the tension etc. That lady sounded a bit snarky. A quick search of the internet will find bobbins for less than a dollar each. 12 for 7.50 is one that I saw however it is the pillow that will cost you. Don’t get the lace “board” it is pretty useless. You can find sites that will tell you how to make your pillow though. You could probably fake some bobbins as well. a plastic straw cut into sections and partially filled with clay or something to add a little weight and you would be good to go. Most lace makers I know have a variety of bobbins. > [@lissener](#): > > Weight, friction, that kind of thing. I spose if you put enough design effort into weighting it correctly, and maybe encasing the “neck” in a soft rubber, it might work just as well. > > Mostly I think it’s economy of, um, non-scale: it’s close to a lost art. Even as a lifelong textile artist, I’ve only met two people who do it, including that lady when I was 8. There probably isn’t anywhere near enough of a market to justify any kind of mass production. Might be cool to tool some out of acrylic bars though! ---
**Author:** ![MickNickMaggies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@MickNickMaggies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MickNickMaggies)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/24 "2009-03-09T09:38:45Z")
There _are_ plastic bobbins out there, they are just seemingly not currently produced. My book (The Bobbin Lace Manual, Dover) suggests, for the beginner: a basic pillow (home-made is great) cotton fabric to cover it 24 bobbins (always in pairs, with 12 being the minimum- 28 pairs is the largest amount required by any pattern in the book) pins cotton thread- mandmade materials are too stretchy. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/25 "2009-03-09T18:43:32Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > The cheapest ones on Lacis would be $300 for 100. Just not gonna happen for me right now. I’d rather trade some lace or knitting to someone with a lathe. Really? How about these: English Bobbins, Hardwood, (LC03) $7.50 for pack of 12 Lace Bobbin, Square, (HN04) $16.00 for pack of 24 Kliot Lace Bobbin, (HN02) $21.00 for pack of 24 96 of the first-listed would be $60 plus shipping; that’s probably about as cheap as you are going to get for a commercially-produced item (and I haven’t seen the plastic ones anywhere either). Also, as someone upthread mentioned, 100 bobbins is a helluva lot unless you plan to do something insanely complicated and/or have multiple projects running concurrently. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/26 "2009-03-09T19:05:16Z")
After you’ve been making lace for a while, you’ll find yourself answering a question, “Yes, I’m still in tatters!”😛 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/27 "2009-03-09T21:10:49Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > as someone upthread mentioned, 100 bobbins is a helluva lot unless you plan to do something insanely complicated If you knew me, you’d know that this is not an “unless” at all. My first envisioned projects are: A sweater made of yarn, but with the bobbin lace technique; a birdcage made of wire, with lace technique; and experiments in portraiture with lace technique. I have no doilies or antimacassars in my immediate plans. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/28 "2009-03-09T21:20:03Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > After you’ve been making lace for a while, you’ll find yourself answering a question, “Yes, I’m still in tatters!”😛 Well, see, as you imply, most of the lacemakers I’ve ever met have made tatted lace, which is different. Tatting is kind of a cross between crochet and macrame; it’s mostly done with [one thread at a time](http://kerryh01.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/shuttle-tatting.jpg), as a [series of loops and knots](http://calamitykim.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451bdb269e200e5539362598833-800wi). Bobbin lace is more like a cross between macrame and weaving. Imagine a piece of woven cloth. Now imagine every single thread in that cloth attached to its own [bobbin](http://www.finethreads-vermontlace.com/main1.jpg), and capable of being manipulated [individually](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/2565999576_781baeeaaa_o.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/29 "2009-03-10T23:02:15Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > If you knew me, you’d know that this is not an “unless” at all. My first envisioned projects are: A sweater made of yarn, but with the bobbin lace technique; a birdcage made of wire, with lace technique; and experiments in portraiture with lace technique. I have no doilies or antimacassars in my immediate plans. Erp. :eek: I’m not sure the lacemaking bobbins would work with any of that, since they are quite small; for, e.g., knitting-weight yarn, you’d only be able to wind a few yards. The bobbins are primarily to keep the thread neat and easy to handle; for thicker stuff they might not be necessary. For yarn, actually, why not try winding it into hanks or onto shuttles? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684/30 "2009-03-10T23:31:36Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > Erp. :eek: I’m not sure the lacemaking bobbins would work with any of that, since they are quite small; for, e.g., knitting-weight yarn, you’d only be able to wind a few yards. The bobbins are primarily to keep the thread neat and easy to handle; for thicker stuff they might not be necessary. For yarn, actually, why not try winding it into hanks or onto shuttles? I will end up experimenting, but my first project I think is going to be an attempt to do a portrait in lace. I’m picturing [this](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Benjamin-Franklin-U.S.-$100-bill.jpg) in lace, for example. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bobbin-lacemakers-or-wood-turners/488684.md?page=1)