[lace] ramie/cotton blends for lace making?
i thought maybe this question would be better asked on lace, so excuse the cross posting. i have been reading up on some types of fibers used in spinning and i was curious if a ramie and cotton mix was a good type of tread used for lace. i know ramie is stiff and can be brittle, but they say if it is mixed with cotton it makes a strong thread and even stronger than silk. have you ever heard of this type of thread for lace making? also does anyone know how rabbit angora does as a lace thread? i just bought some spinning books and a one ounce drop spindle and i am going to make some thread. i know cotton and flax are the two most common, but i wanted to see how the ramie and angora were used and if they were suitable to be used in lace. if anyone knows please reply. thank you. = from susan in tennessee,u.s.a. __ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] ramie/cotton blends for lace making?
I don't know anything about ramie, but all threads can be used to make lace. The important thing is to get the right size/scale pricking for the thread, do a sample to see what it feels like made up, and then use it for appropriate things. For example, let's say you use a thickish ramie/cotton thread, you choose a pricking that sets it off just fine, but the finished lace is a bit stiff and scratchy. Now this wouldn't matter at all for a wall hanging but might not be the best for a scarf. The angora has two disadvantages I can think of, from using this type of yarn for knitting. The first is that the fluff tends to hide the pattern, so use it for a simple, bold design; Torchon ground rather than rose ground is an example of what I mean here. The second is that it tends to felt slightly so you want to keep undoing to the minimum; a simple design will also help with this. Again, do some samples to get the right grid so you keep the lovely softness and drape. I have got some handspun yarn (not by me g) that is one ply shetland and one ply of mohair. I picked up one skein to make a scarf, then a second in case one wasn't quite enough. Then I saw two more and bought those as well so there may be enough for a jacket front (or half a front and half a back) instead of the scarf. But what ever I decide to make it will be after careful sampling to get exactly the right size grid for it, as I want it as soft as possible (biggish grid) without it losing its shape (too big grid). Good luck, and do let us know the results of any experiments you do. Jacquie - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] ramie/cotton blends for lace making?
i don't want anything fuzzy for lace making, so i will look at something else other than the angora, but i am going to mix the ramie with the cotton and try it out. the types of things i had planned to make were table mats, and the ramie mix would look great on something like that. i also agree that i wouldn't want to wear something itchy and ruff, so if the pattern were a collar and cuff set i would definitly not use that type of thread. i think it is more important to have the correct size thread for the pattern than a specific type of material. i plan to buy a small amount of the size of thread the pattern calls for and use it as a guage for what size to spin. i have already been through having to enlarge a pattern to fit the size of thread that i had. it wasn't that hard, but it wasn't worth it. i wouldn't say i won't do it again, but i would definitly try to avoid it if i could. thanks for the good advice. = from susan in tennessee,u.s.a. __ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
