The Tools
One of the things I like best about lacis is that it's a "bargain basement" art form. Museum quality pieces of lacis can be produced for practically no money. Most tools necessary for lacis can either be found around your house, or cobbled together with a minimum of effort and cash. After four years of work, I have spent cumulatively less than $200 on my art.


Netting pillowThe NETTING PILLOW is the anchor for your work. It needs to be stable enough to resist being tugged on repeatedly. But it need not be complicated. A doorknob can provide a stable anchor; so can a table leg, or a nail driven into a wall. My first netting pillow was my husband's belt buckled firmly around my leg.

The classic netting pillow, however, resembles a pillow; it has a weight inside to stabilize it. But you need not spend any actual money on it. My own pillow, which has served me well for many years, is made from stuff around the house. It is a piece of broken cinderblock (you could also use a brick, a spare weight from a weight lifting set, or a largish rock). I wrapped it with cotton batting (left over from a quilting project) and then covered with scrap cloth. A large button (replacing the earlier large diaper pin) was a convenient catch for anchor loops, and two fat rubber bands around the body served as non-skids, and all purpose stuff holders.

Investment: $0.


ShuttleThe SHUTTLE is probably the most expensive item in your tool kit. Standard shuttles can be bought for less than $10 (www.lacis.com is a good source for shuttles). But you can make your own, for a good deal less than that.

A homemade shuttle can be fashioned in a number of ways. Two large upholstery needles (or shish kebab skewers), taped together. A notched rod cut from wood, bamboo skewers, bone or antler also work; I certainly recommend them for learning the stitch. But such makeshift versions are not reliable for long term work, or heavy thread. They don't have the same durability as metal shuttles, and will eventually split at the notches.

Home-made shuttleBut making a homemade metal shuttle isn't that hard. Go to your local hobby store or model railroad shop, and spend a dollar on brass, steel or aluminium round, solid rod stock (beware of the hollow stuff; it will cut your thread). Twenty minutes with a Dremel tool will provide the proper shape: about 6-8 inches long, the ends tapered gently, and a 6-5 mm lengthwise notch cut into both ends.



Mesh gaugesThe MESH GAUGE is easily the most important tool in your arsenal; it alone determines the size of each mesh, and thus the size and shape of your project. The irony is that it's also the easiest tool to come by. Anything smooth and straight will work. Wooden dowels, pencils, ball point pens, popsicle sticks, glass rods, lollipop sticks, metal rodstock, straightened paper clips, chopsticks or shish kebab skewers, bits of wood. you name it. Skilled fishnetters can even use their own fingers (I don't recommend this for newbies, though; if you get it wrong, it quickly can become a thread version of those fingertrap puzzles).

What your mesh gauge is made of isn't really important (the largest piece I ever made, a 4ft x 4ft panel, was made with a wrapped-paper lollipop stick for a mesh gauge). what's important is the size. It should be a comfortable length -- I prefer 6-10 inches -- and the diameter should be large enough to give you the size mesh you're looking for. Experiment with a lot of mesh gauges, until you find some that satisfy. Experienced netters tend to end up with a "palette" of gauges, each of different diameters.


In period, the THREAD for lacis was invariably silk or linen. For the modern lace-maker, I recommend the same. You just want a thread with a firm twist, and no slubs or fuzzies. During the netting process, the thread rubs against itself a lot; slubs, fuzzies and knots will catch, either breaking the thread or making the knot form in the wrong place. You don't want a silk thread that's too slippery either. The knots need to stay firm, not slide around or loosen; that will allow the mesh to shift and lose shape.

I have a confession to make: I use cotton thread. A lot. No, so far as we know now, cotton thread was not used for lace making in period. But, for SCA uses, cotton thread is convenient. Crochet cotton (the kind your granny uses to make doilies) is cheap, it's easy to find, it's available in several different sizes, and it's strong. When I'm concerned with authenticity, I use linen or silk thread. When I'm concerned with whether a piece of lacis will survive repeated trips through the washing machine, then I use cotton.


BurattoThere is another tool available: BURATTO, or woven netting. Buratto was certainly used in period. It can be purchased online, for around $20 a yard (60" wide). Like mondano, it can be cut to any shape, and decorated with the same patterns as mondano. It looks much the same as, and is woven in the same way as needlepoint canvas.

I do keep buratto, and use it from time to time. But it's rather too expensive for my production level. However, some people work exclusively in buratto produce some exquisite pieces of lace. It's mostly a matter of budget and personal preference.





[The information and images on this website are Copyright of Lady Cecilia Bartoletti (June). You may make a copy and use any information contained herein for personal use only, or for SCA documentation purposes. Unauthorised publication is not permitted.]

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