The computer is back! And I have returned from the Costume Society of America's symposium, where I brushed up on textile conservation, to be sure there were no new developments that could affect lace. Our newbies may not know that in the process of dyeing thread, white is the fluffiest. The thread becomes progressively thinner depending on how much dye is absorbed by the fibers. Pastels are just slightly affected. By the time you have dyed thread the darkest, the thread can sometimes be seen (by eye) to be thinner! To clearly illustrate this, look at threads available everywhere from DMC: the 6 strands of embroidery floss. Compare a skein of black to white. To get equal coverage to white, sometimes it is necessary to add an extra strand of black floss to your needle! This is also true of the wools used in needlepoint. Not relevant to lace, but you should know something this basic. It could affect an expensive lace knitting project! With lace threads, the best way to determine a size is appropriate is, as everyone has said, to make a small lace sample to see if the pricking needs to be slightly reduced for black thread. If crocheting or knitting lace, you must make allowance for this anomaly. Each fiber - cotton, linen, silk, wool, synthetic - will absorb dye at a different rate. Kind regards, Jeri Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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