Hello Jean > Can anyone tell me what "purse silk" or "purse twist" is? Sorry but I don't know what "purse silk" or "purse twist" is.
> From what I have managed to glean from the web, it appears to be three ply > silk with a high sheen and thicknesses quoted are 300 and 500, or numbers to > that effect. Three of the definitions I've found are: > > A stout silk thread used for knitting purses, and also for embroidery with > the needle. Also purse-twist. > > Alchemy Yarns - Alchemy Silken Straw: 76e - Citrine - $30.00 > 100 % silk. 40 grams, 236 yards. 6 spi on US size 4 needle. A sport weight > purse silk floss with a unique texture. Lovely worked double if desired. This > fiber reaches its full and drapey potential when introduced to a hot iron > > : a smooth tightly twisted silk thread used esp. for embroidery or knitting 40 grams, 236 yards. = 40gms per 216m = 40/216gms per 1m = 40/216 x 9000 gms per 9000m = 1667denier If it's a 3 ply thread then each ply would be 556 denier. That is pretty thick, but then if it's supposed to knit at 6 stitches per inch (24 sts per 10cm) that would be about right. UK 4-ply usually knits to about 28 stitches per 10cm and DK to 22 stitches per 10cm > > > I have a couple of miser's purses and patterns for a few. All the patterns, > whether for knitted or crocheted, call for purse silk. They nearly all use > seed beads or cut steel beads (I have found a source for those) incorporated > into the knitting or crochet. I've chosen one pattern to make and the > instructions call for: > ½ once size EE Corticelli Purse Twist or ½ ounce No 300 Florence Knitting > Silk and two No.18 needles. > > Converting the needle size to it's modern equivalent isn't a problem, but the > silk is. What I've found on the web so far doesn't help with thickness. > Brenda's book has one reference to Corticelli silk in two thicknesses, but I > don't know if that's what I'm looking for: > > Belding Corticelli pure silk (reeled) A 3Z 35 and Buttonhole twist D 2S 20. If size A is 35 w/cm and size D is 20 w/cm then size EE is going to be somewhat thicker - possibly in the region of 5-6 w/cm but that is a guess, though it would fit with 4-ply/DK knitting yarn. Twisted silk probably means spun silk rather than filament silk and it certainly doesn't mean floss. I think that you will have to investigate what silk knitting yarns are currently on the market. A couple of websites to start with are http://www.aurorasilk.com/index.html http://www.21stcenturyyarns.com/Scripts/default.asp http://www.deramores.com/silk-knitting-yarn?fibres=6&gclid=CImqhMDehasCFQULfAodOh-E2w http://www.knitshop.co.uk/31-mulberry-silk-yarn Brenda in Allhallows www.brendapaternoster.co.uk - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
