Like all skills, lacemaking has it's own tools and equipment that are a huge part of the pleasure of thecraft. We all have our Bobbins, and lots of them, but there are many other lacemaking tools that we use. Each Lacemaker has their own favorites and sometimes we use very odd things in unsual way. Our aim is always the same, whatever our tools, to produce a beautiful piece of lace that has been a joy to work and will be a joy to those who look at it and use it in the future.

Here are a few of the tools we use and a brief explanation of what they do and why we use them.

One of the most essential lacemaking tools is thePin Vice, which is a little of a misnomer as you actually use a needle! Pin Vices come in two main styles, Stubby, or mushroom style as illustrated, or Pencil style which has a longer, more slender handle. Common to both is the small vice which is controlled by a screw and which hold a needle. The needle should always be slightly finer than the pins you are going to use for your lace.

The main use of the pin vice is to 'prick' tha pattern, sometimes it is called a pricker because of this. A lacemaking pattern is composed of tiny dots which indicate where a pin should be placed to hold the stitches in place. When you prepare a pattern you prick through the dot to make a small hole, then when you come to place your pin it should just slide into the hole and be pushed in just far enough to hold it steady.

Having place all those pins whilst you are making your lace, you need an appropriate lacemaking tool to help you get them out when you have finished. Sometimes you also need to push down the pins to give you a clear space in order to work. The pusher/lifter does both those jobs. Usually it is a cylindrical piece of metal mounted in a wooden handle, though occasionally they are all wood. The piece of metal has a concave base with a thin edge.

This concave shaped allows the tool to push the pin down into the pillow until it is flush with the surface and it doesn't bend the delicate pins that are used in lacemaking. Once the pins are pushed down you can continue working without fear of snagging delicate threads, though it is advisable to cover the pin heads with a cloth if it is practical.

Once you have finished your lace you need to take out all those hundreds of pins which would be very hard on your fingers and play havoc with polished nails. This is where the thin edge of the tool comes in, just slide it under the head of the pin and flick it upwards and the pin rises gracefully from the pillow where it can easily be removed. By using this method you keep greasy fingers away from the surface of the lace and you avoid sore fingers, or worse pricking yourself and dripping blood on the precious lace.

This is a lacemaking tool that causes a lot of confusion because of its name. We call so many things a Lazy Susan. This tool is a needle with the point inserted and glued into a turned wooden handle. The 'eye' end of the needle is bent at an angle of around 45º. A double thread is inserted through the eye and the ends left loose.

The purpose of this tool is to make it easier to perform 'sewings', areas where threads have to be sewn into the lace you have already made. The Lazy Susan is inserted into the loop of lace and a loop made in the thread. You then pass the bobbin and lace thread through the loop and use the ends to pull it through and make a hitch, joining the areas of work. You can also use your Lazy Susan to help you join the start and finish of your lace.

Some lacemakiers use a crochet hook for this task but it isn't easy, especially when working with fine threads which split easily. Using a Lazy Susan gives you a much better finish and it doesn't take so long either.