April 2018 <

Have you taken the Crochet Thread Challenge yet? Did you peek at all those steel hooks in your Gramama’s or Grandma’s crochet and knitting bag? Scouted out the arts and crafts corner of your local thrift store, with thread on your mind?

I hope you have at least thought about taking my Crochet Thread Challenge and if you haven’t actually acquired a thread pattern yet, your seriously considering it! I’d love to hear from you when you have!

FUN FACT: When is a steel crochet hook not a crochet hook?

ANSWER: When the “hook” is really for hair! I came across an interesting hook in my sister’s steel crochet hook stash called “L’OREAL”. In my mind a big question mark appeared and I thought “when did L’OREAL start making steel crochet hooks for the yarn industry?” So, to the internet I went and found that these hooks are not crochet hooks at all but used to pull hair through the color cap used for highlighting! HA who knew? NOT ME! If you find one, pick it up and crochet something with it, they work just as well, you just need to calculate the gauge by working with it. Maybe finding one will have you taking the Crochet Thread Challenge after all!

Worried there are no crochet thread color choices?

Does the Thread Challenge concern you because there might not be enough thread color choices to choose from? Or your local yarn shop or store doesn’t carry but a limited amount of crochet thread? Check on-line! The choices available are just about limitless! I think even you will be pleasantly surprised at the amount of crochet thread choices there are.

Thread options are certainly growing as the market for crochet thread grows. We want solids and multi’s, we want to insert texture with metallic’s and make stunning garments and throws from hand dyed thread made from all over the World.

thread color

Whether you want to use solid colors or combining solids or want metallic threads and hand-dyed threads, there is something out there for everyone…even you!

Push yourself to take the Thread Challenge and become a Subscriber today!

Ascending
Descending

Weight: Cotton Thread No. 30, 70

Fine delicate doilies and tatting

Weight: Cotton Thread No. 20, 30, 40 to 100

Trimming; towels, hankies, sheets, lingerie

Weight: Cotton Thread No. 5, 10, 20

Trimming; shelf ends, arm and chair backs, pillow cases

This article is not about choosing yarn over thread, which is easiest to work with, or fiber made from. It is more about my Mother’s suggestion to me to use thread for my “future projects” and what would become God’s Child, Hearts Dress, Priscilla and Aurora. Not so sure it was a challenge suggestion but more of an educated observation as she listened to the direction I wanted to go in.

Hesitant to give up my favorite worsted weight yarn and H-8 (5.00mm) crochet hook, baby blankets and granny squares, I had a lot to think about.

Crochet thread comes in sizes from 3 to 100, as fine as sewing thread for those delicate doily patterns, tatting and lace edgings with size 3 coming in as thick as some yarns. Cotton is an inelastic fiber with little “give-stretching” quality. Perfect for projects that need to maintain their shape and intricate pattern.

Crochet hooks for working with thread are also slightly different then those used for yarn. They will have shorter shanks, smaller hook heads and made from steel rather than aluminum, plastic and wood. Again, a bit more restrictive in the hand.

Working with my H-8 (5.00mm) hook and worsted weight yarn when I was learning to crochet, my hand had to learn the hold and tension needed to create even crochet stitches. I would be learning the same process migrating to thread.

My passion to learn everything crochet, my pure joy in finding vintage patterns leads me in a direction that few are brave enough to travel. Come join my journey – become a Subscriber today.

Color Wheels

Are all they are cracked up to be!

Any artist who works with color probably understands what color wheels are, their importance and use. Color wheels are used in just about every industry like paint, fashion as well as crafts. Not being trained in the use of color wheels, I am color challenged every time! SO, I compensate in other ways with what I have.

I put my creative hat on to choose thread colors for the flowers that would best complement the crochet chain of brown and green.

Diving into my bins of thread balls, I set a bunch of colors on top of a white surface in a circle, laid the crocheted chain across them and what-do-you-know I created my own color wheel! Funny thing the right colors just popped out!

Check out MARIGOLD in Free Pattern Page to see what I chose for the flower colors.