Hi:
S and Z refer to the direction of the twist in the finished thread. You
can tell the direction by the way the letters S and Z are written - it
refers to the direction of the central part of the letter. If you're
spinning raw fibre and your wheel is turning clockwise, the twists are
going onto each ply with a Z twist. Then, when you put 2 or more ply of
Z-twisted thread together to ply them, you spin the wheel the opposite
way, in this case counter-clockwise, and the two strands are plied
together with an S twist. The resulting thread is referred to as
S-twist.
If you have S-twisted thread on your bobbins, you will undo the plying
by rolling the bobbin to the left, and the plies will separate. If you
roll the bobbin to the right, you will increase the twist on the
plying, and your thread will develop a kinky look. If you are using
Z-twisted fibres, it works the opposite way.
For embroidery, I believe the lore is that you should use S-twisted
fibres for handwork, as most people are right-handed and the way they
handle a needle prevents the S-twist from untwisting, whereas if you
embroider with Z-twisted fibres your plies will separate.
For lace, I personally think it doesn't make that much difference
because I tend to roll my continental bobbins to the outside of the
lace, so the thread separates in one direction and becomes kinky in the
other. Either way, I have to adjust the twist on my threads from time
to time.
Threads intended for machine use are usually Z-twisted; I believe this
is due to the way sewing machines wrap the needle thread around the
bobbin thread.
Hope this helps.
Adele
On Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at 12:13 PM, Patricia Dowden wrote:
To clarify, I understand what 2S and 3Z mean, but I don't understand:
1) Why one thread is listed as both; and
2) What the difference will be to the process and the finished product
between 3S and 2S/3Z.
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