Click on small images for a detailed scan.
I read with interest Sue Dane's article about the new Coats Lace thread in the January 2010 Lace Guild magazine - as did others as I received several enquiries asking if I had seen this new thread yet. I now have samples of these threads (branded with the original name, Coats Cometa Encajes) from three different sources and whilst they look to be nice threads they are *not* a direct substitute for Filato per Tomboli di Cantu - as the Coats Special Projects Manager told The Lace Guild at Alexandra Palace.
Not only do the thicknesses not match with any of the old Filato di Cantu threads, they are spun differently too. The Filato di Cantu are/were all 3 ply S spun; the Cometa varies depending on the size!
No 20 is 2 ply S spun; No 30 is 3 ply Z spun, No 40 and No 50 are both 2 ply Z spun.
The direction of spin makes a lot of difference to some lacemakers and not much to others depending on how they handle the bobbins on their pillow. I personally don't have a problem with either direction of spin but some people do find that one direction or the other tends to unwind as they move the bobbins about. Generally any thread originally intended for lock-stitch sewing machines, whether for stitching seams or embroidery, will be Z spun to suit the action of the mechanisms and anything intended for hand sewing, or bobbin lacemaking, is S spun as that suits the majority of (right handed) stitchers.
The difference between 2 ply and 3 ply thread makes a difference to everyone. A 3 ply thread is generally firmer and rounder than a 2 ply thread of a similar thickness. A 2 ply thread flattens more and will squash together to make a soft lace that will drape and gather well whilst a 3 ply thread makes a crisper lace, perhaps better suited to household use.
There are very few 3 ply S spun cotton threads available; Brok 100/3 and 120/3, both much finer than Cometa, Presencia Fincrochet 10, 20 and 30 all much thicker, and YLI Colours which is between Filato di Cantu 30 and 40 in thickness. The only other S spun 3 ply threads that I have seen is Idrija lace thread from Yugoslavia/Slovenia which is/was marketed by Coats in Eastern Europe!
I have measured the Cometa threads as:
Size 20 = 2S-20 w/cm. This would substitute for the defunct Danish Flower Thread
Size 30 = 3Z-23 w/cm. Same as Brok 24/3
Size 40 = 2Z-26 w/cm. Same as Aurifil Mako 28 wt
Size 50 = 2Z-28 w/cm. Would substitute for the old DMC Retors/Brilliante 20
The nearest substitutes currently available for the old Filato di Cantu are:
Filato 30 = 3S-21w/cm = Presencia Finca 20 = 3S-19 w/cm so slightly thicker
Filato 40 = 3S-32w/cm = Amann Sylko 50 = 3Z-32w/cm; same thickness but Z spun
Filato 50 = 3S-34 w/cm = Presencia Finca 50 = 3Z-34 w/cm; same thickness but Z spun
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Handmade scarf made by a colleague of my daughter - is it stitched together? or hairpin crochet? or what?
The scarf is about 4" 10cm wide and in wear the loops go in all directions and cover the centre stitches.
There are several joins in the centre yarn suggesting stitching with a needle but how would the loops have been controlled?
In some places the loops will move between the stitches but they are mostly held quite firmly and in a few places the centre yarn
passes right through the very loosely woven ribbon.
Thanks to the good people on the Arachne list the technique has now been identified - it was almost certainly made with a "Loopa" tool. The instructions effectively tell you to wind the fancy yarn around their plastic 'hairpin' and work crochet chains to hold the loops together. They don't say a hook is required and so that implies using your fingers to make the loops, and then to go back and work a row of back stitching over the loops. That certainly seems to be the way the scarf Lucy gave me was made. They also imply that it's knitting as knitting pins are not required. Knitting it is not!
I've had a play and made a 'hairpin' from two pieces of A5 card sellotaped together. I tried working crochet down the middle, but had the usual problem with working hairpin crochet; if you work towards the open ends of the prongs the work bunches up and gets jammed against the bottom of the hairpin. If you work away from the open ends the work will slip off as it grows but it is very difficult to manipulate the crochet hook. So, I tried using a needle and stitched the loops together.
For the first effort I wrapped the fancy yarns around the 'hairpin several times and stitched down the middle. Back stitch was too stretchy, it had to be chain stitch. That worked reasonably OK but I found that I missed quite a few threads on the back and so had to work a second row of chain stitches down the other side to catch them all in. That was a bit tricky because of all the loops, but the scarf looks OK.
The second try is much better. This time I turned the hairpin a full 360 degrees to make loops on each side then used a needle to work a chain stitch making sure that all six fancy threads were caught in the stitch and repeated until long enough. That looks much better with only one line of chain stitch down the middle.
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The original scarf showing two rows of chain stitching with a thick yarn. (DK) |
My first try with two rows of chain stitch using 4ply. |
My second scarf with only one row of chain stitching - barely visible. |
A length of bobbin lace plait found near the quey on St Agnes Island, Isles of Scilly.
At first glance this appeared to be a thick cabled rope, but closer examination showed that it is actually made with 8 strands of S twisted cord used in pairs to make a mirror image 4-pair plait. I intentionally included my (very wet!) foot in the photo to show the scale. A chunky trainer shoe 11 cm wide, so each cord is about 2cm diameter and the dark strand running through some of the cords clearly shows the S spin.
Instead of the usual 2 over 3, 2 over 1 & 4 over 3 this braid is worked 3 over 2, 1 over 2 and 3 over 4.
