Preparations

 

I knew that bobbin lace was time consuming, I've done it before.  But I'd forgotten just how much time it takes to get everything ready for the bobbin fwipping to actually begin!  Not unlike weaving on a loom, honestly.

(I'd like to say I really hate Windows 11 and how when I scan things they get filed in Google docs, or some obscure place I can't find them readily, or make them play nicely with Word.)

After fighting with the scanner the other day and again yesterday, I did finally manage to get the next pricking I wanted to do scanned and enlarged slightly (so I can SEE what I'm doing) and printed out.  The one nice thing about using the scanner and printer is that I get nice crisp prickings to work from.

Last night after dinner I rummaged and decided to use up more of the red thread already wound on a bunch of my bobbins.  That meant I only had to actually wind half as many bobbins, because so many already had more than enough thread on them.  I simply pulled off as much as I needed for the other half of the pair and wound that.

This design required 20 pairs (40 bobbins).  It's a step up in skill level from the last two bookmarks, and since I can't find the book it's from, I had to carefully study the pricking, think about the structure of lace, about what I've done previously, and then interpret how to achieve what was supposed to happen in the textile.

Then while I began winding I thought about how to do something to 'bling' the bookmark up.  I have some special 'fancy' mylar thread and in the end decided to wind the two outside pairs with red and the mylar to make a nice outline for the bookmark.

By then, however, I was pretty much 'done' with winding bobbins, so I left the mess on the dining room table and will do those last two pairs today.

Just noticed the mylar spool of thread is in the photo, right 'behind' the tube of red mercerized cotton.  I think they call it hologram yarn or something.  (Label is long gone.)  It's shiny and tends to reflect different colours.  I've used it before in lace projects and it works well.  And, while it's 'expensive' such a little is needed, I don't mind spending the money.  :)

We are having 'weird' weather - again.  This time it's 'too warm'.  Last night we had a big wind storm blow through, which I somehow managed to sleep through.  This morning we have lovely bright sun, which is a welcome sight after all the dreary grey days we've been having.

But winter is not over (I hope).  With the recent sudden warm temps the little snow we had has melted off and if things don't change soon, the drought we've been having is going to continue.  And if it does, this summer is going to be really really bad - for wildfires, but also for agriculture.  Expect food prices to go up (again) as supplies begin to dwindle.  Because it isn't just here that is experiencing drought - it is all down the west coast.  And California produces a lot of the food we rely on, which may become scarce if we don't get some relief from the drought conditions.

Here in BC we rely on hydro electric sources for our power and we may discover what extreme heat and lack of electricity to run a/c feels like.

At least there are more people recognizing that climate change is a 'thing'.  I just wish they would stop telling me how to adapt to it, and focus on fixing it.  If they can terraform Mars for people to live on, I'm pretty sure they could 'fix' climate change here on earth.  Just saying...