Question for those who design: Do you use color or white for
your trial tatting? Do you try out ideas in “seconds” thread or good thread?
Many years ago, I bought a very, very large cone of size 10 crochet thread. It was on sale, I could use a coupon to boot, and I thought it
would be handy for trying out ideas. This was many, many years ago. I still
have some.
I’ve used it tatting, stringing up decorations at Christmas,
and weaving with cards. Even in the kitchen. When I use it to tat, I have to
remember to adjust any stitch count. The DS lay very different on the core
thread. I’m usually tatting very quickly to get ideas into thread before I
change my mind.
I’ll also use it to learn new pattern techniques. If I’m
trying to incorporate buttons into a pattern, I use thread I can just take the
scissors to. Sometimes I remember to snap a picture or make notes. Sometimes….better
not to bother!
So, do you have a stash of thread you use for ideas?
Sounds very handy to have that thread to experiment with. Well, I wouldn’t use my best thread, or favourite thread, but something reasonably close to what the final product will be.
ReplyDeleteI rarely use white for trials or designing, because of the stiffness compared with the dyed lot. It does not give an accurate picture. But I do use other colours/colourways especially ones I am not fond of) for these purposes :-P
ReplyDeleteThank you! Perhaps now I'll have the courage to use up some of my bits and pieces instead of saving them.
ReplyDeleteI tend to use threads similar to what I plan to use for the finished project, but in colorways I thought looked great on the ball when I bought the thread, and when I tatted with it, didn't like the way it looked when it was tatted. Depending on the size of the project, I use odd bits and half- or almost-full 'leftover' shuttles that aren't enough to make something 'big' but too much to throw out. As long as it's the same size/brand of thread, changing color doesn't matter in an 'experimental' tatting session. I have partial balls of thread that really aren't enough even for a bookmark, and I often use them for testing ideas for small projects, too.
ReplyDeleteStephanieW
More good thoughts! Thank you! I think I will still reach for an "inferior" thread when learning new techniques or trying out a pattern I suspect is written incorrectly. You know that feeling when looking at a printed pattern? "That can't be right!"
ReplyDeleteWhite most of the time. There is no special reasson for using white, it's just because I have tons of white thread in size 8, and use it for trial and error
ReplyDeleteAurora