Bobbin Lace-Making Un­der­ground

Once upon a time, miners extracted silver and cobalt from the rock; now, dexterous women descend into the mine with their bobbin lace kits. The participants in the bobbin lace-making class aren’t just indulging in their hobby in an unusual setting—the machine room of the former mine—they’re also using special materials. That’s because, underground, they make lace with wire instead of thread. This weekend, the 37th Bobbin Lace Days are taking place in Annaberg-Buchholz. The Ore Mountains are a hub for bobbin lace-making in Germany. For more than 460 years, delicate lace has been crafted by hand using this technique.