It seems that most of you have used either Perle or linen threads for your snakes and have not had any problems. These threads are all S-spun, and the problem seems to occur only with Z-spun thread and is worse with half stitch than with cloth stitch.
The theory behind this is that all BL, except for cloth stitch, has more twists than crosses. A twist, right over left, is in the Z direction and this added to the Z-spin of the thread is what makes the lace want to curl/corkscrew in the opposite direction.
The results so fare aren't 100% conclusive; Sonja had a problem with linen passives and metallic weavers, and I have worked a snake as a Milanese practice piece using Sylko (3Z) and "Figure of 8" braid, chosen because it has lots of twists - and that snake is lying flat! I've also worked a half stitch snake using Piper 30/3 spun silk (3Z) and it's like a corkscrew.
I think that probably all the extra twists in the Milanese prevent it from moving, but the more open nature of half stitch is what allows the spiraling movement. That would agree with the 'yardage' samples ('inchage' samples might be more accurate) which started this discussion. An edging of French fan with ctpct ground worked with DMC Broder Machine 50 curled quite a lot whilst another sample using Broder machine 30 on the same pricking did curl but not so much.
I'm going to add something about this to my website in the next few days; I'd also like to do a gallery of snakes. I've been sent several pictures of lace snakes but if anyone else has a photo/scan of a snake which I could include I'd be delighted to receive it.
Brenda http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/paternoster/
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