Cosmo

Scarlett Johannsen on the Cover of Cosmo

No, I have not been asked to be a cover girl for Cosmopolitan magazine!  (I'd fit right in, though, don't you think?)

Not that long ago a friend [Hi, SL!] told me about Cosmo, a six ply Japanese cotton floss, which she said is very silky to stitch with, and which comes in an amazing range of shades of color.  She also told me I could buy it at a quilt shop over the mountain from my house.  So when I needed to take the dog to the vet's offices only a short distance from the quilt shop, I made a visit.  

Six Pink Cosmo Skeins

This is what I bought--six skeins of shades of pink.  The quilt shop sells them for $1.10 each so I ended up paying $6.83 since I have to pay state tax as well.  The amazing thing was that there were at least 15-20 shades of pink to choose from!  Plus Cosmo comes in variegated colors. This is great news for those looking for a huge range of one color for designs like Patricia Spence's "Twister"which requires seven shades of one color.  

For those who don't live near me or near any quilt shops (as far as I know this is a thread carried mostly by quilt stores), the shop I visited has an online store.  They carry all 442 solid Cosmo colors and the 80 variegated shades.  (They also carry Presencia's Finca perle cotton in both size 8 and size 12.)
http://www.webfabrics.net/cgi-bin/Store/store.cgi?cart_id=1105655.IP64.79.49.145IP.12769.s0&lastmenu=&menu=submenu-1100.html

I found a bit more about the thread plus a DMC conversion chart here.
http://www.thimblecreek.com/cosmo.php

According to this website, Cosmo has a small metallic thread line called Sparkles.  This I haven't seen.
http://thimblecreek.com/product.php?product=88

I've stitched with my Cosmo floss several times since then and find it very high quality.   The color range is amazing (although not every color has as many variations as the reds, blues, and purples).  I think if you are stitching something that needs lots of shades, this is the thread to use.
http://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Canvas_Embroidery/CETwister.html

UPDATE:  Rittenhouse has a little video on this wonderful cotton floss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlAHzSX9rqQ

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 17, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

The Twist and Select Needle Case

I absolutely adore my Twister, which is a lipstick-style magnetic needle storage case made by Pym.
http://www.needlepointtooltime.com/product/Twister

It holds all my current needles and keeps them safe when not in use.  Thanks to Brenda's Needlepoint Studio, I've discovered that Dritz has two different needle cases that are similar in style.
https://brendasneedlepointstudio.blogspot.com/2017/07/needle-storage-tubes-72317.html

Here is what Brenda found and chose to use.  It appears to hold needles up to two and a quarter inches long, which means it might not hold the longest beading needles but it'll handle tapestry needles just fine.
https://www.createforless.com/Dritz-Needle-Storage-Tubes-3-pc/pid281784.aspx

After a little more hunting I found Dritz's larger lipstick-twist case.  It also is the same length.
https://www.createforless.com/Dritz-Needle-Case-Twist-N-Select-Storage-Tube/pid270102.aspx

Thanks, Brenda.  Options are always good as no one product suits every needlepointer.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 23, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Cosmo UPDATED

No, we aren't talking that PBS science program that Carl Sagan so memorably narrated in the 1980s.
youtube cosmos carl sagan

I'm talking about Cosmo embroidery floss, an Egyptian cotton floss dyed in Japan. Cosmo is available as a six ply silky cotton, as a variated cotton floss and as a metallic floss.    It is widely available in the USA in quilting shops.
http://www.thimblecreek.com/cosmo.php

There are over 400 colors available in the embroidery floss line.  If you need a lot of shades of one color, Cosmo appears to have 6-7 shades quite often.  Folks who plan to stitch Patricia Spencer's Twister, take note!
http://www.thimblecreek.com/images/COSMO%20colorchart.pdf

Seasons is what the variegated line is called.  There appear to be 73 color combos.
http://www.thimblecreek.com/images/Seasons-color-chart.pdf

Sparkles is the line of metallic floss.  There are 7 colors here.
http://thimblecreek.com/product.php?product=88

For more information here is the company's website.
http://www.lecien.co.jp/en/embroidery/index.html

I've also found a DMC-Cosmo conversion chart so you can substitute colors easier.
http://www.thimblecreek.com/images/DMC%20to%20COSMO%20Conversion%20Chart.pdf

UPDATE: Here is Mary Corbet's review of their variegated cotton floss.
https://www.needlenthread.com/2020/05/cosmo-seasons-variegated-embroidery-thread.html

UPDATE #2:  Rittenhouse has a little video on this wonderful cotton floss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlAHzSX9rqQ

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 15, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Tisha and the Twister UPDATED

Needlepoint Tool Time continues its tradition of unusual and interesting stitching accessories this month with the Twister, a needle container that twists open like a lipstick and holds needles fanned out but held by a magnet in the bottom so you can pick just the one you need.   You can see all the new items in the video on the site's home page...
http://www.needlepointtooltime.com

...or you can just click on "New Products" on the right and go straight to the Twister's photo and description.  That might be best because who can resist rhinestone scissors, or Annie Lane magnets or  My Favorite Laying Tool or a flat iron to straighten threads, or....

You get the point.  Tisha stocks a lot of great stuff.  Enter the website at your own peril.

UPDATE:  I found this video of Pyrm's Needle Twister on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho8xwTmSuKk

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright November 30, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Now It's Snowing

I can't wait for spring! I feel much better but today I'm going to be stuck at home during a snowstorm. We have about half an inch now and it is coming down pretty well. 2-6 inches is expected today and tonight but the snow will turn to freezing rain later on.

I am glad to have a nice warm house with plenty of stash! Once I do some clean up this morning, I hope to stitch a little. For now you'll have to entertain yourself with the fun stitching other folks are doing.

First, Judy Harper is stitching tropical fish. This one is obviously a pearl fish. [loud giggles from CH] Seriously, note that Judy stitched around the pearls instead of removing them from the bare canvas and reattaching them later. I never would have thought to do that.
http://fairy-crafts.blogspot.com/2009/01/fish-is-finished.html

You will see other Squiggee designs in the set she is stitching on Judy's blog but there are more ornaments in the set. The rest are on Squiggee Herself's blog.
http://squiggeedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/01/something-is-just-plain-fishy.html


Next, let's visit Mary Corbet who is showcasing a goldwork and silk piece a friend of hers took as a class. She points out the interesting piece of gold kid too big for its leaf area and how scrunching it up made the veins. Again, I never would have thought to do that.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2009/01/readers-embroidery-goldwork-pansy.html

For just plain fun, let's visit Jocelyn in NZ where she has finished Twister in chocolate and mint colors. Let's say this all together--I never would have thought of that color combo but it looks great!
http://pinsneedles.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/twister-is-finished/

Cyn is stitching a little round ornament with an unusual border treatment. I would have done straight stitches curving around the circle's black rim but Pat Thode is much cleverer than me. All together now--"I never would have thought of that!"
http://cyns-stitches.blogspot.com/2009/01/heartstings-drum-nutcracker-january-24.html

Blogs are turning into a great source of ideas for our needlepoint, aren't they? Certainly no matter how creative one is, there is always something interesting to learn from our fellow stitchers.

Now, let's go shovel snow!

Jane/Chilly Hollow
Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow