How to Use Hand Dyed Threads
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:39 am
I have a stash of Gentle Art Sampler cotton hand dyed threads and have printed off some freebie primitive ornaments and smalls and am using these threads for them.
I have a couple of questions that seem to me like they should be common sense but this is my first time using hand dyed threads even though I have been slowly collecting them over some time now.
First, when they are looped onto the cards, how to you remove one strand? Do you unloop the skein, remove a thread and then loop it back on? Or, I saw on you tube a woman that showed how she put her threads onto the punched cards and on the front of the 'knot' of the loop, she lifted one thread with the tip of her needle and just pulled it from the skein still on the card. I've tried this but it is usually hard to pull and ends up looking like curly ribbon when I do get it out. I like the look of the cards with the threads looped onto them, but unlooping and relooping to remove a thread makes me want to bobbinate them.
Second, when using the hand dyeds, do you use them like variegated threads and use 2 threads together instead of one thread folded in half? I know to do full crosses as I go, but I wondered since the hand dyeds are not evenly variegated and the colors sometimes quite subtle , how do I get the best 'effect' of the colors? By using 2 strands together or one strand folded in half?
Third, is there a difference in either of these instances if it's silks instead of cottons?
I hope these questions don't sound too ridiculous
I have a couple of questions that seem to me like they should be common sense but this is my first time using hand dyed threads even though I have been slowly collecting them over some time now.
First, when they are looped onto the cards, how to you remove one strand? Do you unloop the skein, remove a thread and then loop it back on? Or, I saw on you tube a woman that showed how she put her threads onto the punched cards and on the front of the 'knot' of the loop, she lifted one thread with the tip of her needle and just pulled it from the skein still on the card. I've tried this but it is usually hard to pull and ends up looking like curly ribbon when I do get it out. I like the look of the cards with the threads looped onto them, but unlooping and relooping to remove a thread makes me want to bobbinate them.
Second, when using the hand dyeds, do you use them like variegated threads and use 2 threads together instead of one thread folded in half? I know to do full crosses as I go, but I wondered since the hand dyeds are not evenly variegated and the colors sometimes quite subtle , how do I get the best 'effect' of the colors? By using 2 strands together or one strand folded in half?
Third, is there a difference in either of these instances if it's silks instead of cottons?
I hope these questions don't sound too ridiculous
