Substitutes for Memory Thread

It's debatable whether DMC's memory thread (a thin copper wire wrapped with their floss) is discontinued or not.  Lots of people say it is but it is easy to find online.  DMC is notorious for discontinuing a line in one country but not another and I can't find out for certain.  

But given that a lot of people are looking for a substitute, you might consider Kreinik's Hot Wire, now called Wired Braid, which is their size 16 metallic braid with wire down the middle.  It comes in 18 colors.  You can also make your own, although this is easier to do with the larger sizes of Kreinik than the smaller ones.

http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Wired-Braid.html

Painters Threads carries gimp, which is a thick, non-wired thread that you couch into position.  It may be easier to use than a wired thread in some situations, too.

https://yarntree.typepad.com/needlework_news/2020/10/painters-rayon-gimp.html

Their gimp comes in all the Painter Thread overdyed colors, too.  You can order directly from the distributor if your local shop doesn't carry this.

https://threadnuts.com/shop/ols/categories/gimpe-rayon-10m-skein-17

I've also couched size 5 perle cotton and Kreinik's metallics when I needed a raised line.  Where there's a will, there is a thread for this!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright October 3, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Threadaholic Alert: Four Wool Threads Compared (Plus a New Crewel Wool)

Needlepoint for Fun's latest adventure is a comparison of four new wool threads on the market.    You'll learn about Vineyards Merino, Essentials, Glisten and Planet Earth Wool, especially their characteristics and what canvas count (13 or 18) and type of stitch they work well for.
https://www.needlepoint-for-fun.com/comparison-of-three-wool-threads-for-your-needlepoint--vineyards-merino-essentials-by-tilli-tomas-and-glisten-by-rainbow-gallery.htm

As a bonus, a stitch guide is being written for the Steven Klein canvas used as a demonstration project.  Your favorite shop can order the canvas from Julie Mar and Friends, or you can ask Needlepoint for Fun for the canvas when you get their guide.

As an aside since we are talking about wool, Painter's Thread now has a crewel wool on a machine embroidery spool.  The second link below is their website with a good look at the colors available.
https://yarntree.typepad.com/needlework_news/2019/08/painters-thread-crewel-wool.html

https://threadnuts.com/shop?olsPage=t%2Fcrewel-wool-soft

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright June 28, 2019 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Blinding You and Other Blog News

This is what was plastered all over the background.

I wanted to remind Blog's readers that new items are still popping up several times a day under the "TNNA Winter 2015 Phoenix" ta.  Designers who haven't updated their website now have time to do so and the shops are posting new canvases that they ordered from the show on their website, blog or Facebook page.  Just click on the tab to check on the latest, which will be on top and highlighted in red.

As you probably can't help noticing (since you have to wear sunglasses to look at Blog!) I've also updated the background image.  This is a closeup from my current piece for Leigh Designs--Sultry Outback from her brand new Jungle Heat series.
http://www.leighdesigns.com/Grp630x.html

The pictures aren't there to blind you--they are there to show off a new thread I've been playing with. If you look at the three yellow flowers, you'll notice that two are outlined and one isn't.  The couched outline is Painters Threads' gimp, which is a rayon cord a little smaller in diameter than size 5 cotton perle.  It looks a bit like DMC's memory thread, but smaller and it isn't bendable wire. It's just slightly stiff to bend.  It comes in all the usual Painters Thread colors which are a mix of overdyes.  I used the orangish MaryC.
http://www.shop.tentakulum.com/epages/Tentakulum.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Tentakulum/Categories/Garne/Andere/Viskose/Gimpe

This Etsy shop has some nice closeups where you can see what the thread looks like.  I think it would make awesome surface stitches (French knots, oyster stitch, cast on stitches, or lazy daisy stitches).
https://www.etsy.com/listing/157881209/painters-rayon-gimp-gimpe-frida-thread

It also made my yellow flowers look like appliquéd fabric, which is the look I was going for.  Thank you, Painters Threads!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 4, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Painter's Thread Colors in Silk Ribbons

Needlepoint Retailer has announced that Painter's Threads have come out with a silk ribbon. You can read a bit about the ribbons here.
http://yarntree.typepad.com/needlework_news/2013/05/painters-threads-silk-ribbon.html

 The Threadnuts' website (they are the distributors) doesn't like silk ribbons yet as this is very new.
http://shop.threadnut.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Need Some RickRack?

Painter's Threads has a new product--rickrack!  Painter's Threads are a line of threads dyed in Germany by Tentakulum.
http://yarntree.typepad.com/needlework_news/2013/02/painters-threads-rayon-ric-rac-from-threadnuts.html

Threadnuts is the importer of Painter's Threads so you can pick up samples of Painter's Threads from them.
http://shop.threadnut.com

You can also visit the Painters Threads website.  Please note this is in Europe (France?) so you'll have to pick your language.
http://www.paintersthreads.eu

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Painter's Threads Meets Ribbon Floss

Painter's Threads Overdyed Shimmer Ribbon Floss

What do you get when you cross YLI's ribbon floss with Germany's Tentakulum Painter's Threads?  You end up with overdyed ribbon floss, of course!

Here is YLI's website, the page where the description of the varieties of ribbon floss start.  Ribbon floss comes in regular, metallic, Shimmer (which has a bit of metallic woven in--this is the type of ribbon floss Painter's Threads has overdyed), and heathered (which looks rather tweedy and thicker than the other ribbon flosses).
http://www.ylicorp.com/ribbonfloss_1.htm

This is Tentakulum's website, with links to all the threads they manufacture.
http://www.paintersthreads.eu/Seiten/PaintersInfoSite/English/PaintersColoursEnglish.htm

This link shows all the current colors of Painter's Threads in overdyed Shimmer ribbon floss.  I am told this is available from YLI if you are a shop owner looking to order.
http://www.paintersthreads.eu/Seiten/Farbkarten/Viskose.Wolle.Metallics.Andere/VRFS.html

This close-up shows some of the new Painter's Threads Shimmer ribbon floss as well as the regular ribbon floss in the old tube packaging.  If you compare the regular ribbon floss tail end with that of the new Painter's Thread overdyed Shimmer ribbon floss, you'll see the dyeing process makes the overdyed thread a bit less ribbon-like.

YLI now packages ribbon floss wound around flat rectangles of plastic (which you see at the top of the first photo) but you will still find ribbon floss wound around cardboard tubes as well.  I put the mesh tubes around the tube ribbon floss to keep the spools neat.  They don't come this way but I didn't have any of the old style of packaging I hadn't opened.

Amy Bunger's Halloweenies Home Study project used Painter's Threads overdyed Shimmer ribbon floss on the Devil character.  Here's a picture of Melinda's finished Dev L. Mann.
http://melindaslivingthegoodlife.blogspot.com/2011/02/speak-of-devil.html

Many thanks to LR for sending me these lovely threads to show off to you and use in my stitching.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com