How do you pick and choose your tatting thread?

[Jon Yusoff]

This thought came to mind when I read Marty's comment on another thread,

Re: create pattern?
I usually use Cebelia to test tat. It's pretty good thread, but not the best I have. I also use colors I don't like to test with. :)

Marty


Have you ever purchased a thread you don't like? What made you choose it in the first place?
Having bought it and realising that you don't like it, what do you do with the thread?

I ordered some thread online. I know it was in size 20 but the description did not say what ply it is. When I received it, I found out that it is 3-ply and I much prefer 6-ply. Now those balls of thread are only used for test tatting. That way, I don't feel so bad cutting in the middle of a test design because I don't feel so bad about throwing it away.

I suppose I could give it away, but I would only give away something that I like.

[Ridgewoman]

Like you Jon, I'd rather share something I like...not just get rid of something that didn't work out. I choose my threads, usually HDT, for the lovely colors. But on occasion, I've been disappointed that the photo didn't 'quite' match up to what came in the mail...No matter, I'll use it down the line. I don't hate it, but not the first thing I'd pick up... Now, I just buy from those whose threads have a track record with me....bj

[Marty]

Have you ever purchased a thread you don't like? What made you choose it in the first place?
Having bought it and realising that you don't like it, what do you do with the thread?

Oooo, yes I have! I bought a bunch of Omega thread on line...I'm so silly, I thought I was buying Olympus (well, they both start with O!). The thread is thinner than I thought, very fuzzy, twisty, and it frays. I got a whole bunch because it was on sale (oh, if I only had a brain ♫♫). I've put it in a box under my bed. My niece uses it for friendship bracelets (those kids do some really neat thread work with their fingers and I want to learn!). I've also put it through my lucet to make thicker threads. It's just been practice up to now. But I'm going to make myself some colorful shoelaces out of it. One think I won't be doing with it is sharing it with other tatters. That would be just plain RUDE!

[xstchntat]

I usually pick the thread for a project by color and size though I have very many vintage threads and tend to use those for practice tatting if the colors are a little off and for good projects when I like the colors.

[PattyD]

Well, while I swear by 6 ply, the siren voice of threads never intended for tatting do call to me. I have discovered that size 100 glazed quilting cotton is killer for itty bitty tatting. I have also discovered any number of things that only work in limited situations :blush:. I don't like Cebelia because it is too soft. And I love Lizbeth :heart: . Since normal tatting doesn't speak to me much, I have to take my lumps when an experiment goes bad. But now I know for sure :thmbup: that Sulky works for me, both rayon and metallic. I have about decided the thread chooses me and not the other way around. :biggrin:

[Liyarra]

Gee Marty - perhaps try hand dying that Omega?? The plain stuff I bought I hated but the HDT made with it seemed to cure that fuzziness.....

[Judy]

In my stash is this 2 inch high ball of an incredibly bright orange. An old colleague of mine decided she wanted to learn to tat when I told her what I was doing. Turns out she's forgotten how hard it is to do something different than knit when that's all you've ever done. She gave up after 4 sessions with a needle, and gave me her ball of thread...whew! I've made a few pumpkin mini tats with it. The thread is fine; the label's gone so I'm not certain of either brand or size. Any takers?


I've learned to trust the threads sold by Handy Hands, even though I may not buy them from there always. I choose by color first. I can seldom put up with a color I don't like even to test with it.

[IcePrincess]

I always choose my threads by colour and by looks. Sometimes also by the thought of "is this possible?" - most people wouldn't touch linen threads with a stick, I think it is an interesting variety.
There are very few threads I've given up on, most I wanted to work were possible, I only had to find the proper shuttle and tension.

For test tatting - well that depends on what I want to do with the tatting. The Riego patterns were worked out with Babylo (I have no problem with 3-ply thread, to be honest I almost favour it if it's good quality!) size 40, this is the best trade for still seeing each stitch clearly and having looooong threads on the bobbin.
For my beginners' booklet I'm working in thick crochet cotton, size 5 I think. I didn't like working those threads until I discovered that they match the clover shuttles perfectly. I can imagine using them for test tatting bigger pieces.
Other than that - usually I test tat with the thread I will use in the final version as I often want to see if this thread and that pattern work out together. Which they not always do.


Funny that I'm not the only orange-hater here ;) I bought a ball of bright orange thread especially for halloween pumpkins and I'd gladly give that away.

[carolivy]

I haven't bought any new threads in SO long! (except for 1 purchase of some HDT from Yarnplayer) I have 3 (50 gallon) totes FULL of thread! One is size 10 Crochet Cotton of various manufacture, another is size 30 (with a couple 20's thrown in) of mostly Big Ball, but also several other Manufacturers as well. The last is a tote of White and Cream threads of various sizes. I do have a small ziplock bag that has tiny balls of 50 in it. I also have a rack of 60 spools of Machine Embroidery Thread that I have used for tatting as well. Love the sheen that gives when worked up! I must be odd though. I don't "test tat". I just choose my pattern, then go to my thread and decide what thread I want to do it in and start. Even patterns that I am creating from "scratch". Ah well, I always did have to be the odd one in the crowd...lol

[gahorsley]

all right ladies---that orange can't be that bad...when MercyPres and Viv and I first met several months ago, I had a fit over some bright orange that Mercy had, so she shared. I started a cross on the way home with it, ( a cross!! of all things) and it turned out beautiful. please ladies, give your poor orange thread just one more chance. it can't help it if you don't like it!!:sad:

[carolivy]

all right ladies---that orange can't be that bad...when MercyPres and Viv and I first met several months ago, I had a fit over some bright orange that Mercy had, so she shared. I started a cross on the way home with it, ( a cross!! of all things) and it turned out beautiful. please ladies, give your poor orange thread just one more chance. it can't help it if you don't like it!!:sad:

I agree. Just because YOU don't like Orange, doesn't mean the recipient won't. I have a friend who's favorite color is bright orange. I tatted her a small doily in variegated oranges and she loved it, even though orange isn't one of MY favorite colors.

[MercyPres]

Orange is not one of my favorites either. I only bought the orange because Auburn colors (and The Valley high school) are orange and blue and some of The Valley teachers wanted the tatted ribbons in school colors.

[Sewicked]

Am I the only one who will exchange both thread that I like & thread that I don't like? I have never exchanged a thread that I haven't tried (still have fond memories of the iridescent white Kreinik braid ghost), but just because the thread is a color/type that I don't like doesn't mean that the recipient won't like it. And if I'm sending threads to a new tatter, it's better to send an assortment so the new tatter can learn what the threads are like without the expense of buying a whole ball.

Carolivy, I'm with you. I just start tatting. I've been disappointed a couple of times when the thread I chose didn't work like I thought it would for -that- project, but it's never been a total loss.

[Marty]

Gee Marty - perhaps try hand dying that Omega?? The plain stuff I bought I hated but the HDT made with it seemed to cure that fuzziness.....

I wonder. I'll have to ask Bonnie. It's all in colors, many variegted. She'll know whether her dying techniques will work on it. Otherwise, it's okay for the girls to use, and I'm pretty certain I can crochet with it.

[ldr103]

I pick whatever colors appeal to me at the moment (usually blues, greens, and purples, although I do try to keep a wide color selection), but I almost always have to see/feel the thread in person before I buy it. I have trouble telling size on the internet, and I still haven't gotten the hang of what the numbered thread sizes actually mean (I mean, I know it's a combination of ply and number of twists per inch, but that doesn't mean every fiber with that size will be exactly the same). I'm a touchy feely shopper anyway, and have found a number of sources where I can get what I want in person. I also like to experiment with different fibers, so being able to feel what I'm buying is super important.

[creadozo]

I have one shop in town where I can get some thread. And I can tell you: not much choice for tatting. So I have some colors and black and white from DMC Petra 5. Much to thick, so I bought some crochet thread which is much thinner. It's makes the work neater than the DMC. Must find a internetshop where I can order in the Netherlands. Since I have no creditcards or so.

[Lynn]

Interesting thread, Jon.

When I start a new project, if I know who is going to receive it, I begin with colors that I associate with that person. (I tend to think of people in terms of colors.) Then I examine the pattern to determine what color(s) it wants to be. After that, I'll play with different sizes till I find the one that will give me the proportions I feel fit the pattern best. But sometimes I'll see a pattern and just know immediately what color will best fit it. I don't have enough experience with different kinds of threads. I like Flora, DMC cebelia and one or two of the Egyptian cottons that I've come across.

I recently purchased a ton of yellow Egyptian cotton thinking I was getting something entirely different. It's huge, and I just can't find a tatting pattern to use it with. So, I'm thinking of a crochet pattern, or maybe even a pair of low top socks.

I also have some orange thread. I think I was given one ball and then found another one that I bought just because I already had one. I'm still trying to decide what it wants to be. Not a pumpkin, though. I think it may want to be paired with some earth tones for a doily. But it's just going to have to wait it's turn.

[Jon Yusoff]

Hmm ... 'orange' seemed to be mentioned a lot in this thread.
I am not particular so much about the colour of the thread. If I like the feel of the the thread, I may diffuse the colour with another thread in complimentary colour.
Having said that, I am not particularly fond of orange myself, :biggrin: so I avoid picking orange when looking to make new purchases.

[Vivaudiss]

Orange is not one of my favorites either. I only bought the orange because Auburn colors (and The Valley high school) are orange and blue and some of The Valley teachers wanted the tatted ribbons in school colors.

Well in reality....pththththt...I made the first purchase and then gave the royal blue and AU orange to mom cause she's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much faster than I am about actually finishing a project....we haven't needed any more that I know of.....I don't normally do bright orange but yet I get to wear it regularly cause of the whole school color thing and we only order blue shirt every other yr.....

[coretta]

But now I know for sure :thmbup: that Sulky works for me, both rayon and metallic. I have about decided the thread chooses me and not the other way around. :biggrin:

I have some Sulky and enjoy it. However, I have been looking for a good metallic. Thanks for the tip. When I bought the sulky it was kinda going out on a limb because I could tell it was better thread than what I was using but at the time I didn't know the difference between 3 and 6 ply. I will have to drive the hour and 45 with three small children and see if they have Sulky Metallic there.

[coretta]

In my stash is this 2 inch high ball of an incredibly bright orange. An old colleague of mine decided she wanted to learn to tat when I told her what I was doing. Turns out she's forgotten how hard it is to do something different than knit when that's all you've ever done. She gave up after 4 sessions with a needle, and gave me her ball of thread...whew! I've made a few pumpkin mini tats with it. The thread is fine; the label's gone so I'm not certain of either brand or size. Any takers?


I love:heart: orange! I'll take it! :) I actually have been looking for orange but all the stores "locally" don't have it. I have a friend that I wanted to make something for her in Orange, because she loves it and looks gorgeous in it. The best I could do in the mean time was a variegated thread that had a little orange in it.:blush:

[Antiquarian]

I choose my threads in 2 ways. Rummage through my mother's crochet threads. The other is to go to a local needlework store. They have a huge selection of threads, including some 80 (or is it 100) It's ittty-bitty, but oh so cute. I have a variegated green spool and one in variegated blue, but I've not found the right project or them yet. Best find something before I get too old and blind. I really should get my pattern collection and thread collection together sometime.

So I guess I pick threads by standing there till I can't hold any more spools and decide that's all I can afford...then I don't let myself go back for at least 6 months. That is unless I need some yarn or a new cross-stitch pattern or a couple of new shuttles.:innocent:

[gahorsley]

antiquarian you sound like me----what is it with shuttles?? I can't seem to get enough of them either! Still I don't have near as many as some of this bunch have, according to their shuttle collection pictures. I am so jealous!

[ldr103]

Just to add to the orange conspiracy, I remembered I have a few skeins of this beautiful merino silk blend in a sort of rusty orange. I meant to make a hat with it and just sort of forgot about it.

[squeeky]

First, I go to the store. Usually they don't have anything I want, but I look anyway. Then I go home and look online, but decide not to order that way because I like to feel the thread before I buy it. Then I go back to the store and choose the lesser of the evils they offer. Then I go home, throw it in a bin and hope it appeals to me better at a later date.

It's not the best way to pick thread, but the up side is I always have plenty of thread I don't like that I can use for other projects and practice.