[lace] Broken threads - thank you
Thanks to everyone who responded to my breaking threads question... both on the List and directly to me. Two people suggested that the threads could need moisture. I hadn't thought of that even though we have discussed it before. My house does tend to be dry. (My cats get static electricity in their fur at times.) I'm going to try with a lightly moistened cloth and see how it does. I'll also check my cover cloths. That suggestion was new to me. I'm almost at the half way point, so I'll keep working on it. Alice in Oregon - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Broken Threads?
Patricia in Wales wrote:- I find it interesting that green seems to damage thread. (snip) I believe I have evidence that the problem may really lie with the colour, and not a rogue batch of cotton fibre, or even Madeira manufacture. After considerable rummaging, I've found the bobbin of thread that caused me so much grief, (why on Earth did I keep it?), when I first decided to experiment with colour in my lace. It's DMC Brillante d'Alsace coton 30, and it carries the number 953, which I take to be a colour code. Anyway, it's a lovely pale green, shading slightly towards turquoise, which matched some hand-made beads I wanted to include. Well, I never got as far as putting in the beads, as the wretched stuff broke with far too much regularity for my peace of mind. I despaired of the project, and - now I come to think of it - of using colour in lace. In fact, I've only just recently dug out my beads and ordered some matching thread, this time in linen, because I *still* have that project at the back of my mind. (Raising its hand and bouncing up and down, wanting to be made - do other people have to put up with that sort of thing, or do I just have an undisciplined mind?) Anyway, I shall try again - and if the thread takes to breaking again, this time I can go back to the lady who is dyeing it for me: I'm sure she'll be intrigued by the problem, and want to discuss it at length. Yours sincerely, Linda Walton, (in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, U.K.). - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Broken Threads?
Whether I have been lucky or not, over the last couple of years I have been using the Colcoton Unikat threads quite a lot - including pale green and pale turquoise-green and have had no problems at all with any of the colours breaking, in either of the thicknesses. Unfortunately there is not a very fine one. They are a 2ply, S twist thread whereas the Madeira Cotona and Tanne are Z twist. I note that the original problem was not really *breaking* so much as the thread pulling apart which happens when it becomes untwisted. I have had students with this problem with the white Madeira and I feel it is maybe something to do with the way they handle the thread when winding or how they move their bobbins, but I have never been able to analyse quite what. They all use spangled bobbins, but as one student will have the problem and another not even though they are using the same spool of thread.. The way to solve it is to regularly stop and overtwist any bobbins where the thread is starting to untwist. For some reason it seems to be worse with the 30 and 50 than the 80. Not logical. But this doesn't explain why you may have the problem with one colour and not another, and why the pale greens seem to be so vunerable. Take all the normal care such as pulling the thread off the side of the reel and winding the bobbin onto the thread rather than thread onto bobbin. But having said that, if you were to pull the thread off the right end of the reel as you are winding you would actually be adding a little extra twist which would help to strengthen the thread. It has also been suggested previously on arachne that Z twist threads benefit from being wound anti-clockwise; if you try this don't forget you need to reverse your hitch as well. There is quite an interesting web site about thread www.ylicorp.com which includes an interesting printable booklet on all aspects of thread such as twist, weight, fibre and the different processes that are used in manufacture. Although basically designed for sewers, there is a lot of interesting info there. A couple of relevant things I spotted are that a Z twist is better for sewing machines (hence the Madeira Z twist as they are basically machine embroidery thread not originally lace thread) as the machine action tends to increase a Z twist but untwist and weaken an S twist - maybe the reverse applies to bobbin lace if the thread is wound in the normal clockwise manner.And that amongst the things to look for in a good thread such as strength and uniformity, one of the factors is ply security. Perhaps the pale greens need an extra process in dying that dries the thread, or even makes it more springy so the ply security is affected and it just doesn't find it easy to stay together. Jacquie - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace-chat] Re: [lace] Broken Threads?
Jacquie i read your comments about winding z threads and considered how I wind my bobbins. In fact. I wind mine anti clockwise as that's one of the things I do lefthanded. Which strengthens the theory it is something in the dye which weakens threads. Patricia in Wales [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
