[Mithalwen]

The first isn't really pertinent to the question since neither ropemaking nor ordinary writing are sub-creation in the sense that Tolkien uses it, the last is relevant but it is relatve not absolute. He says they can do things better and more easily than mortals. It is a continuum not a Venn diagram excluding mortals. But because elves do everything easier and some things at a higher level it doesn't mean everything every elf does is at a level that cannot be matched by mortals.


Now I am happy to concede that some things are likely to be only achievable by elves but I think they are likely to be at a higher level than rope .. if not as high as the items previously cited. A fairly likely example would be Gondolin blades. The Lorien elf said they put the thought of all that the love in to the things that they make and the flip side of that might be that their hatred of orcs et alia is also chanelled.

Where elves really can be regarded as subcreators is in say the ability of elf bards to conjure visions of their subjects.