Thank you Alex, and to everyone: This good advice applies to any type of thread 'new to us' that we might want to try. Linen is not elastic, but has its own characteristics to get used to; cotton has some stretch (I find it to be the most forgiving of the threads). Wool should be treated with gentle even tension; it tends to stretch.
Wiry metallics can have a mind of their own, yet, surprise, surprise, a Maderia metallic weaver thread in tallies I am working now is remarkably well-behaved in action, even if its hitch wants to spring off the bobbin. Some of the new polyester threads cleverly mimic cottons; they are worth a try if one has access to them. Others have written to describe rayon or viscose (it is not the same as nylon, as some might think). My weaving supplier offers blends of rayon and linen, and rayon and silk that I am looking at in a new light! The size and characteristics of the threads might be ideal for some of the projects on Brenda's list (e.g. the scarf or cushion cover). The handspinners in my local group like to work with Tencel roving. I think in the UK it is called Lyocell. On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 1:44 PM, Alex Stillwell <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear Arachnids > > If you use any thread other than the usual natural fibres check if it will > stretch. If it does your tension when making lace will cause the threads to > stretch and they will shrink when the pins are removed. -- Bev in Shirley BC, near Sooke on beautiful Vancouver Island, west coast of Canada - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
