I used to play in an all women band and we sometimes used washboards for sort of a "statement", one song in particular was "The Housewive's Lament". I always agonized about how long it took to get the thimbles on as we liked to keep the music rolling along during performances. I got the idea of taking a pair of inexpensive gloves and cutting just a wee hole in the tips of the fingers. Then I would force the thimbles thru making a nice tight fit. That meant I only had to put the gloves on and I was ready to go. I think it's one of my better ideas! (scary huh?)