Weaving yarn isn’t the only kind I’ve been stashing. I’ve also been buying embroidery yarns from eBay.
First up was a batch of wool.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make out of it, but when it arrived I got a wave of nostalgia, remembering how I use to do bargello work when I was a teen. However, I don’t have any canvas, I’m not sure what size to get to go with the yarn, and embroidery shops don’t appear to stock it.
Then there was some retors a broder/coton a broder:
I’d read about it on embroidery blogs, but never seen it. After finding a skein in an op shop I went hunting on eBay. There didn’t appear to be any available in Australia, but I recognised the labels on a batch listed as tapestry thread, and more research told me that Anchor ‘soft cotton’ was the same or very similar.
Again, I’m not 100% sure what I’ll make from it yet, but I’ve read that it was better than using the full six strands of stranded cotton, as you don’t get loose strands from them being snagged when pulled through the cloth. I can see that being helpful when doing tambour embroidery.
If it’s standard tapestry yarn, the wool is the right thickness for the kind of printed or trame canvas they sell at Morris & Sons (and probably elsewhere, but I’ve seen nice stuff at Morris’s) – it’s what it’s made for and is approx 11 holes/inch. I have approx 3m x 1m of unprinted 12/inch white canvas you can have if you’re interested in trying some. You don’t have to take all of it, but you can if you like. Free from my stash to yours. I can’t see myself using it.
Just remembered the name of the type of canvas I can offer – it’s penelope canvas.
Ooh! Thanks. Though when I looked up ‘penelope canvas’ it was much easier to find shops stocking it, including Spotlight. Being the impatient person I am, I may end up grabbing some before I see you.
Also, a bit more googling of the yarn brings it up as tapestry/crewel yarn, which confirms that I could use it for crewel embroidery too. Options, options…
You could embroider with it, but crewel embroidery is usually worked in a much finer yarn, such as Appleton’s crewel wool – it’s only about as thick as a couple of strands of stranded cotton. Appleton’s also do a tapestry wool, not as fine.
I thought I’d seen penelope canvas in Spotlight but I haven’t been there for a while so couldn’t swear to it. (I’ve been trying to be good.)