Thimble, thimble...

Have you played "hunt the thimble" as a child? It's also called Hide the Thimble - hide it in plain sight.

My thimble is usually in plain sight, ready for use

but you must admit it's not a great fit. Rather on the small side. It might be a good idea to get one that fit "properly" - and as I was about to order some black batting/wadding, why not kill two birds with one stone...

But what size to get? The thimble says on it "4" and the sizes seem to start at 5. Or rather, they are in millimetres - 15, 16, 17... and those are diameters. How do you measure the diameter of a finger?

Of course it makes sense to go to a shop and try on various sizes of thimble. I will do that. But in the meantime, the subject of thimbles has achieved some interest, and research. (People who collect thimbles are known as digitabulists, apparently.)

history - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thimble - "In 1693, a Dutch thimble manufacturer named John Lofting established a thimble manufactory in Islington, in London, England, expanding British thimble production to new heights."

various other sites with thimble info -
http://thimbleselect.bizland.com - includes "a miscellany of thimbles" identification guide
http://prqc.com/thimble_sizing.htm - how to size a thimble for your thumb
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/pages/thimble.html - UK identification site, for thimbles found with metal detectors
http://www.jeanturner.co.uk/content/lace-thimble-sizing-chart.php - thimble sizing, geared to lacemakers
http://www.thimbles2fit.com/sizing.html - US ring sizes used for thimble sizes, with printable ring sizer
http://marmaladekiss.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/using-thimble.html - how to use a thimble
http://www.dimensionsinfo.com/thimble-dimensions - the standard height of a thimble is 5/8 inch
http://thimbles.zzl.org/Childrens.html - children's thimbles
http://www.fingerhutmuseum.de - thimble museum in Germany
http://www.ehow.com/how_5994400_make-paper-thimble.html - how to make a paper thimble (a photo or drawing would have been helpful - the instructions flummoxed me)
http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00077.asp - make a leather thimble - pattern and instructions

Making "shot glass and thimble cookies" - image from here, where you can find the recipe