Today I had a lesson in making bobbin lace, Torchon ground. There would be more to show, except I arrived 30 minutes late and did not have my bobbins wound. (Naughty Student!)
The purple threads down the right-hand side are "bypass" threads -- intended to just hang out, running down the length of the foot side of the lace. They get woven into the work by the traveling threads and provide a more sturdy edge upon which to sew the lace. See how much I learned already?
Of course, this photo is upside down. (The threads hang down from the crossed-and-twisted threads, not up.) Photographing it upside down allowed for a more crisp, clear cell phone image.
The real challenge will be to continue this pricking without the calming presence of the instructor nearby to help troubleshoot my mistakes and fix them. Cross you fingers that I don't get it all in a muddle!
