Pinhead

The first thing I did after schooling was to stare at the bobbin lace I had pinned up and then I proceeded to cut it down and start all over. I'm beginning to realize that until I truly understand what each maneuver is accomplishing, I won't get proficient at this skill. Sure, I can follow directions with the best of them, but as always I need to know why each thing is done not just how to do it. This means that I am starting over at the beginning to focus on the actual structure I'm creating.

Of course I didn't have this revelation until after I tried the next piece of lace in the book. That's what this nest of pins is all about. I was actually getting pretty good at the piece, but as I was removing pins for use further down the lace I spotted a glaring error. It was that error that led me to that earlier epiphany. There was no specific instruction to prevent what was clearly a mistake. Obviously, I hadn't yet fully grasped something fundamental. So I cut this one down as well and resigned myself to slowing down a bit, practicing what I've gotten so far and then moving on only when I understand. I have gotten my tatting to such an incredibly speed that it's hard to remind myself that I can't be that good at everything straight away. It took years to get this proficient with my needle and thread, so I shouldn't think that a week with the bobbins would get me there.

The shop is still slow and I'm still not feeling particularly creative, so I imagine I'll devote more time to the bobbin lace today. I'm pretty determined right now to get this down. Though I do need to be careful not to let myself get too focused and frustrated with it. When that I happens I'm likely to rage-quit and never pick it up again. It's a careful balancing act, but it's usually worth it.