thread-news

With the Winter Needlework Market happening in a couple of weeks, designers and thread manufacturers are giving sneak peeks at the new products that will be appearing at the show.

Today we’ll look at what Kreinik is introducing for stitchers

Their lovely bead-like Facets and Petite Facets are getting two new colors: copper and pearl. Think about using the pearl for a necklace.

New Stitch-a-pen Kits will be introduced.

There will be new metallic colors, although how many is uncertain.

I am so excited about the dyed silk gauze. I’ve done this myself and it makes for glorious backgrounds. I’m not sure which sizes of gauze will be available this way, but I can’t wait.

Finally, Signature Series Assortments will be available in most silks & metallics. They are 4-packs with the top-selling colors in each color family.

Originally posted here:
Upcoming Products from Kreinik

The Medici Problem

several years ago DMC discontinued their beloved crewel weight wool, Medici. I probably get more questions about finding Medici so folks can finish projects than on any other topic.

medici comparing DMC old with Threadneedle Street's new

If you want to use a crewel weight wool and have not started the project, there are many lovely wool from which to choose. Bella Lusso from Fleur de Paris is my favorite of these, but many companies make wool in this size from old established names such as Appleton, to companies now making hand-dyed crewel wool such as The Gentle Art or Weeks Dye Works.

But what do you do if you really need Medici? Threadneedle Street, a needlepoint shop in Issaquah, WA, has a substitute for Medici they say is like old Medici.

To see if it really works, I asked then to send me samples of colors where I had some DMC Medici to compare the two. The results are pictured here. DMC Medici is on the left, Threadneedle Street’s is on the right.

First I tested the feel, I closed my eyes and could not tell the difference in the two threads. It has the same smoothness and thickness.

Then I stitched with them. I had two colors to test and I stitched a block with both old and new Medici. They both had the same coverage.

Now we come to the real question for many of you: Are they the same color? Remember that dye lots change and so skeins from different dye lots of the exact same thread may not match. You can see that with the lavender the colors are close, but with the violet, they are further apart, but apart in a way that is consistent with different dyelots.

So yes Threadneedle’s Medici is about as close to Medici as you can get and works well as a substitute. However if you are adding this to a project in process, blend in the new thread to get seamless transitions.

Go here to read the rest:
The Medici Problem

Thread News from TNNA

I am more excited than I can say about Rainbow Gallery’s new thread, Shaded Very Velvet. This space-dyed thread is simply fantastic and I used up every scrap of the samples I got. And I have had to sit on my hands and not tell you about them for a couple of weeks. There are 11 colors, some in both sizes.

These threads are space-dyed, giving them a nice variety of shades. I found that, depending on the application this could be subtle or bold. You’ll see them Tuesday in the Learn-a-Stitch mini-sock and the review will be up later in the week or early next week.

On top of this great new thread, there are the following new colors: 3 in Neon Rays and Neon Rays Plus (same colors in both lines), 2 more in each Soft Sheen and regular Fyre Werks. 6 in Silk Lame #18, and 17 in Silk Lame #13.

Kreinik has a new line of thread as well as a new series of colors in their metallics. Hot Wire, the new thread, is metallic-wrapped wire. It’s thick, so it will work well for couching to attach bended shapes onto canvas. It comes in several colors to match existing metallics (gold, silver, red, green, black, chartreuse, and grapefruit) and two new colors, pink and yellow. The pink is similar to the matte metallic pink, but with more glitter. The yellow is similar to yellow Kreinik, but not an exact match. Soon I’ll have a review if them so you can see them in action. The link goes to Kreinik’s Q&A page about the thread.

Their new series is called Candy Glass. There are nine new colors, that look like hard candies wrapped in cellophane. I love that they are so bright. They come in #4, #8, #12, and #16 .Look for a review of them soon as well.

DMC has new colors of Memory Wire.

There are lots of new colors in several lines of hand-dyed threads. Gentle Art has three new colors of Simply Wool (crewel weight). They are Lemon Drops, Terra Cotta, and Simply Fern. In this line there are also new Limited Edition colors: Antique Coin, Sorbet, and Cinnamon Toast. There are also three new Sampler Colors: Tiger Lily, Acorn, and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Crescent Colors also has new shades. In their Perle #5 the colors are Morning Glory, Nutmeggie, and Pumpkin Harvest. The new colors in Belle Soie are Ivy League, Maple Leaf, and Weathered Vine. The new floss colors are Barn Door, Ora’s Iris, and Old Money.

Weeks Dye Works has new floss colors as well. They are Goldenrod, Seagull, Michael’s Navy, and Tarragon. They also have 12 new colors in #12 perle. This thread comes on spools.

River Silks also has some new shades of ribbon. Details to follow.

Lizbeth makes interesting threads for hand work, tatting, and lace-making. Their size 10 will work on 18 mesh canvas. It comes in solids and variegated colors and many of the variegated shades are matched to one or more solids, so coordinating is easy. There are 121 colors in all.

Here is the original post:
Thread News from TNNA

New Thread Line – ThreadworX

Originally posted 2007-10-16 10:24:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

ThreadworX (no website yet) is a new Southern California company specializing in hand-dyed threads. You should be starting to see their threads in your local shop. I spoke with them yesterday and was so impressed.

Their initial line consists of floss and three sizes of overdyed pearl (3, 5, and 8). No one else makes a #3 overdyed pearl that I know of, so that’s fantastic news for folks who work on larger mesh sizes.

They are working on overdyed metallic as well.

The current line has over 180 colors and they are planning on adding more, especially tone-on-tone colors. I love some of the color names, which include shades like “Brown Sugar & Spice, “Mello Yellow,” and “Romanian Forest.” I can’t wait to try them.

There have been plenty of rumors swirling around ThreadworX on needlework lists lately and I asked the company about them. ThreadworX has been in development for quite awhile and has been perfecting their colors and getting started. They did NOT buy Needle Necessities, that company’s closure was an entirely unrelated matter. They planned on making their initial splash at TNNA in January. But the closure of Needle Necessities and the need for many shops to find a substitute has caused ThreadworX to begin shipping their product last month.

One of the people involved in the founding of ThreadworX did work for Needle Necessities and was trained by Elaine (the late founder of NN). The colors are ThreadworX own. Many of them can be used as substitutes for Needle Necessities colors. In fact, your shop may have a conversion chart.

I’m looking forward to seeing and trying these colors in person.

Originally posted here:
New Thread Line – ThreadworX

What Is Your Favorite Thread?

Originally posted 2009-02-04 05:48:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Lately I’ve been starting many projects. These include the Winter Stars project, the heart bellpull and two CyberPointers projects, the Stitchalong and the President’s Challenge.

And then there is my personal challenges:

to use up at least one thread on every project (I’ve only missed two so far and those were Twinchies).
to stitch projects using only threads from my stash.

Every time I start a project I go through the thread stash and this has gotten me thinking about threads. As I look I remember other projects using that thread and think about why I like it.

But I’d love to hear from you. What’s your favorite thread? Why? Is it the colors, the fiber, the texture, or the projects you have made that makes it your favorite?

My favorite thread is JL Walsh silk/wool. I first discovered it at an EGA meeting about threads more than 25 years ago. I loved the soft texture and the beautiful hand-dyed texture.

Since then I have used it often for many projects. It makes a great background thread. Unplied, it’s perfect for 13 or 14 mesh, but you can ply it down so it’s lovely on 18.

Leave a comment and let me know your favorite. All people commenting before Feb 20 will get a complementary design from me.

The rest is here:
What Is Your Favorite Thread?

Renaissance Dyeing – thread review

Originally posted 2006-12-09 05:58:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A lovely naturally-dyed wool is now available from France. A crewel weight wool
Renaissance Wool (http://www.renaissanv=cedyeing.co,) is a 100% lambswool, naturally-dyed thread, which is exquisite for needlepoint.

If you’ve ever had a lambswool sweater, you’ll know what I mean when I say it is superbly
soft in the skein, a softness which translate into full stitches on the canvas. I was just
stitching on 12 mesh with 3 strands and it looks like a single strand of a much thicker
wool. According to their website, the thread is “spun especially for us in Yorkshire,
England, it is a 24/2 worsted lamb’s wool ply with wonderful handle and an astonishing
resistance to thinning and ‘fluffing’.” It comes in 25m skeins and 100m and 250m hanks.
There are 100 colors, with as many as five colors in some families.

Twenty-five of the colors are in the Elizabethan Range, a set of colors dyed with the dyes
and mordants available in the Sixteenth Century.

The threads are naturally dyed, a process which creates color of more complexity than
chemically-dyed threads, as well as color which harmonize together. The company
suggest using more than one color in a needle (called needle-blending) to extend the
color choices.

On their website, they have several 12 packs of colors which work together. There are also
two different color sets of naturally-dyed embroidery floss (listed as mouline) and some
unique results of wool dyed with two different dyes. New textile packs are added regularly.

Kreinik Holographic News

Kreinik just announced that the holographic colors are now available in #4 braid. It’s perfect for blending with other threads and for cross stitch.

#4 joins #8, #12, blending filament, and 1/16″ ribbon in this popular line.

I’m working on today’s Scrap Bag Needlepoint, which will post later this morning.

Read the original:
Kreinik Holographic News

Thread Alert – New Colors & Threads from Crescent Colors

I just got word that Crescent Colours is adding new colors and a new thread to their hand-dyed line.

Coming out later this month there will be new colors in cotton floss, silk and #5 perle. They will also be bringing out a line of #8 perle with 30 colors.

Crescent also publishes cross stitch charts and there will be some new series in these.

Read the original:
Thread Alert – New Colors & Threads from Crescent Colors

New Threads

Originally posted 2009-01-01 18:14:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

BELLALUSSO
This new 100% Merino wool is distributed by Fleur de Paris and is a wonderful replacement
for Medici. I think it’s made in Italy and is a lovely soft, crewel weight wool.
I stitched in both Basketweave and Double Cross on 18 mesh canvas using two strands.
The process made me remember why I love to use wool. It slides through the canvas so
easily, the stitches are so rich and thick, and the end result is so smooth.
In short, I loved this thread. Currently it is available in 46 colors in either a 45 yard skein
or 350 yard hanks. While there aren’t lots of colors, the range is good, with most families
having three shades in them. I really like using wool for fur and hair and Bellalusso has
seven shades of brown and tan, which is very welcome.
This is a great thread and I can’t wait to use it in a project.

PLANET EARTH FIBERS
This company makes four silk threads. Two threads, silk and six-strand silk, can be used
for embroidery. The two others have sequins or beads added to the silk, so they can only
be used as couched threads.
Silk is a single strand silk, similar in width to Vineyard Silks Classic. It will work on either
14 or 18 mesh for decorative stitches. For Tent Stitches, most people can use it on either
mesh, but some stitchers may find it too thick for 18 mesh. It is also very soft.
Silk has a strong directional light which means that stitches slanting in different directions
look like different shades of the same color. This makes it a great thread for many
stitches.
Six-strand silk is pliable and four strands work well on 18 mesh. It stitched beautifully.
Although you can use it like any stranded silk, the look is slightly different. Each strand is
more tightly twisted, so the effect is almost as if you are stitching with extremely fine silk
perle. And like silk perles, such as Grandeur, the effect is slightly matte. I really enjoyed
using this thread.
You can check out their color cards on their website at
http://www.planetearthfiber.com/cpg/. Silk comes in 125 colors, while six-strand silk is
available in 107 colors. All colors available in the six-strand are also available in silk and
seven of these colors are also available in a six-strand variegated version.
Currently the threads are found mostly at knitting and quilting shops, but they will be
showing at TNNA in January, so they might be coming to a needlework shop near you. If
they do, try them out, they are great thread.

NEWS & NOTES
Some new thread news. There are many new (at least to me) colors of Vineyard Silks. These
include: a series of pale yellows (french vanilla, crème brulée, custard), some peachy
pinks (strawberry ice, tea rose, Nantucket red, and claret), a family of tans (sahara, oak
bluff, partridge), three roses (pink pearl, veil, hot pink), three dusty roses (zephyr, dusty
orchid, tulipwood),and three single colors (buttercream, mojito, pale blue).
There are also new colors from brown paper packages, four lovely natural grays, dolphin,
mouse, elephant, and seal. They are simply lovely and four more colors are expected
within a month. If you don’t spend tons of time thinking about color, you probably don’t
realize there are three types of grays. Natural, or true grays, are simply combinations of
black and white. Like those colors, they don’t have a temperature and will work with any
other colors. Warm grays have a slight amount of yellow in them. You may not notice it but
you will if you put them near a cool color of any kind. Cool grays have a bit of blue or
green in them. The grays already available from brown paper packages are cool grays.
Because of TNNA, many companies will be bringing out new threads and colors for the
show in the middle of January. You will hear all about them in the TNNA round-up issue
with impressions of the show from my friend Sondra Dyer.