Re: [lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
Dear Adele, Check the thread with a high-powered loupe -- you should be able to see 'nodes' in the fibers if it's linen (which would be very exciting given how fine it is). https://lenoklinen.com/blog/linen-fibers-miscroscoping Also, the following blog post gives some other methods for distinguishing linen from cotton: https://mytextilenotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/distinguishing-linen-from-cotton.html#:~:text=Linen HTH. Nancy Connecticut, USA - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
Update on the thread - Interesting - the slips are not as I expected. I thought the entire parcel would be one long length of thread, with all the slips joined to one another, but - no. Each slip is fastened off, separate from the others, so you can just extract one slip at a time from the system. I unpicked the one remaining pink thread, and the red thread, took out one slip, and tied everything back up again. I happen to have some sherry glasses that have a stem about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide, and I got one of those and reeled the thread from the slip onto it. The 90 yards took me about 90 minutes, but it wasn’t difficult; the thread had some extra twists and tended to wind back on itself, but those tangles undid themselves mostly without any problem. There are 3 places where I got a small knot I couldn’t get out, but that’s not bad for 90 yards. The thread seems quite strong and in good condition; I thought I might have breakage, but I didn’t. I broke a piece off; it didn’t seem any easier to break than new thread. I hope that bodes well for when I’m making lace with it. - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re[2]: [lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
I'd love to see photos of this thread on our Flickr account! Let me know if you need the login. I wonder if it would be good to put the thread in a shower room / in a container under a damp cloth to add humidity to it. I know that makes a different when cotton threads on the pillow become dry Sue suebabbs...@gmail.com -- - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
Thank you so much, Jean, Sue (and Brenda & Clay through the archives) - My little 6” parcel didn’t seem to have any red threads, or any indication of having been tied at all, but the picture of your parcel that you so kindly sent, Jean, looked a lot like my parcel in every other respect, including the pink threads. Thank you for sending the picture - it gave me the confidence to proceed. I plucked up my courage and snipped the two circles of pink thread, and unfolded the skein. There were more folds than I thought; what I unveiled was just over 18 inches long, so each time the thread went around would measure 1 yard. More importantly, tucked away in the middle was what I hadn’t even suspected was there - a third pink thread, going around the skein, plus the red thread dividing the parcel into slips. My parcel has 13 slips, but the red thread has extra length on it, and indications that it was untied and retied, and one slip has been removed. So it was the finest, 14-slip thread. I separated one slip and put it under a magnifier to count the threads - the slip has 90 threads, so 90 yards (plus maybe an extra half-yard) in each slip. Doing the math, the entire parcel of 13 slips has 1,170 yards, and it weighs about 6 grams (on a non-electronic old-fashioned kitchen scale, so not tremendously to be trusted). I am definitely going to have to use this thread for something. I don’t know what yet, but, obviously, a very fine lace! - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re[2]: [lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
I looked in the archives for "slip" and came up with these messages from Brenda Paternoster: [lace] Slip threads Brenda Paternoster Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:18:22 -0800 Dear Spiders I have recently acquired some old slip threads - thank you Lynne - and my quandry is whether or not I should break the packaging in order to measure the threads. Slip thread, is gassed cotton in skeins as traditionally used by lacemakers in England. According to Thomas Wright, 'Romance of the Lace Pillow' the thread came in 2 ounce packets; each packet containing 4 parcels and each parcel divided into several slips - (hence the name slip-thread). The slips are separated from each other by a red thread twisted between each slip. I *think* that the slips are joined together, ie one long length of thread. What I have is two packets plus one parcel of 12-slip, two packets plus one parcel of 10 slip and one parcel of 6-slip, plus a couple of individual slips that I don't know the size of - once a parcel has been opened and the red thread cut the "size" information is destroyed!! When I weighed the four parcels they only weighed 4 ounces - I think that could be an error by Thomas Wright (I know his book is not now considered 100% accurate), and I think the thread was manufactured by E Peat, Son & Co of Nottingham as there's a blue paper wrapper bearing their label in the bag that the threads came in. Wolter-Kampmann's book (German edition page 26) shows a parcel, a packet, a wrapped packet and a larger wrapped packet (2 ounce) of this thread. My question is; should I break the wrapping threads to measure the thread or should I keep it intact? Brenda in Allhallows, Kent http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.uk/index.html Re: [lace] thread on eBay Brenda Paternoster Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:17:57 -0700 Hello Clay Today some thread sold on eBay, and it raised a couple of questions that I thought you might be able to answer. The thread was described as "12 slip 230 , so very, very fine". The first question is, what does this term (12 slip 230)mean? Is it related to the old "band" descriptor, as in "12 band"? I've not heard the expression 12 band before - is that an American term? Probably does mean the same as slip. 12 slip means that there are (were originally) 12 little skeins joined together as a continuous length in one 'parcel'. Each 'slip' is separated from the others by a coloured thread inserted between the slips in a multiple figure of eight. The more slips in the parcel the finer the thread - I think 14 or 15 was the finest and about 3 or 4 the "thickest". To quote from Miss Channer's little book (revised 1972) "For point ground a fine cotton thread was used. The most usual size was known as 10 slip. The skein was divided up by red cotton into the number denoting the size, eg 6 slip was divided into 6 groups, 10 slip into 10 and so on. A 200 linen thread would be the equivalent to a 10 slip cotton but unfortunately neither is being manufactured at the present time. DMC thread No 80, although highly mercerised, seems to be a good substitute." The 12 slip would be finer than that. I *think* 230 means cotton count 230 - so very much finer than anything currently available (and horribly fine to try and do a wrapping!!). The second question is that there were what appeared to be four hanks of thread in the lot, and each hank was in a small sealed plastic bag, where it had been placed by the Honiton Lace Show "many years ago", since that is when the seller says she bought them. So the question is, do you think that the plastic was harmful to the thread over time, especially considering how fine it is said to be? I was at a lace day on Saturday; Tim Parker was speaking about threads and he recommended storing lace threads in polythene bags. Certainly light, acid and atmospheric pollution will cause more damage than polythene, but I'm not expert on that. Jeri, do you have any comments about storage in plastic? Brenda http://paternoster.orpheusweb.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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
Re: [lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
Hi Adele, I think it’s probably very fine cotton. In the Romance of the Lace Pillow by Thomas Wright (1971 reprint from Paul Minet) on p.123 it says “Many workers use ordinary Lace Thread (which is, of course, cotton), sometimes called Gassed Thread, from the fact that it is drawn at a slow but regular pace through a flame of gas in order to deprive it of all film. A two ounce packet contains four “parcels,” and each parcel a specified number of “slips”. In the case of the extremely fine “14 slip thread” there are fourteen slips, in the case of the “12 slip thread” 12 slips, and so on down to “3 slip,” which is the coarsest in use.” Somewhere else that I can’t find right now, I’m sure I’ve read that these “parcels" were tied with pink thread. I’m sending you a photo of what I think mayt be one of these parcels that I have - it is about 15cm (6in) long tied with pink string top and bottom and has 14 divisions separated by the darker pink thread. It only weighs about an eighth of an ounce on my kitchen scales which may not be very accurate for small amounts. I have other skeins of thread like this but haven’t had much success when I’ve tried to unwind them - I suspect the thread isn’t as strong as it would have been when new. I’ll send you a photo of the thread separately. Jean > On 25 Feb 2022, at 19:43, Adele Shaak wrote: > > Hi, Everybody: > > I just got a skein of old linen thread that’s not like anything I’ve ever > seen before, here in Canada, but I think maybe some of the Europeans on this > list might be familiar with what I have and be able to help me. > > It’s a single skein, not marked or labelled, and it is very fine - maybe > equivalent to 180 gassed Egyptian cotton in size - and I think it is linen > from the feel of it. It is about 15cm (6in) long right now, but it has been > folded, and about 1.5cm in from each end it is secured with a circle of pink > thread. One end is a single fold of the entire skein and the other is two > folded ends held together. > > I think - but I haven’t opened it so I am not sure - that what it is, is a > skein of thread about 60 cm around, that has been flatted and folded in half > and secured at each end. The thread is so very fine, and has that slight > wiriness I associate with linen, that I am worried that if I just start > mucking about with it, in my ignorance I will tangle it beyond saving. > > I suppose that if I knew what I was doing, I would cut the pink ties, open up > the skein … and then what? How would this be handled? Is there a method? I > want to be able to wind it onto bobbins but I’m not sure how to do it. > > Any advice on what I should do now? > > Adele > Vancouver, BC > > - > 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/ - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
[lace] Help With Skeined Cotton Thread
Hi, Everybody: I just got a skein of old linen thread that’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before, here in Canada, but I think maybe some of the Europeans on this list might be familiar with what I have and be able to help me. It’s a single skein, not marked or labelled, and it is very fine - maybe equivalent to 180 gassed Egyptian cotton in size - and I think it is linen from the feel of it. It is about 15cm (6in) long right now, but it has been folded, and about 1.5cm in from each end it is secured with a circle of pink thread. One end is a single fold of the entire skein and the other is two folded ends held together. I think - but I haven’t opened it so I am not sure - that what it is, is a skein of thread about 60 cm around, that has been flatted and folded in half and secured at each end. The thread is so very fine, and has that slight wiriness I associate with linen, that I am worried that if I just start mucking about with it, in my ignorance I will tangle it beyond saving. I suppose that if I knew what I was doing, I would cut the pink ties, open up the skein … and then what? How would this be handled? Is there a method? I want to be able to wind it onto bobbins but I’m not sure how to do it. Any advice on what I should do now? Adele Vancouver, BC - 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://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
