Painted doilies

[Raine59]

Has anyone made one of the "painted" doilies where you use 3 strands of sewing thread and gradually change out the colors? I think they are really pretty but I find it hard to work with 3 strands of thread. I don't so much mind switching out the colors but I find they split apart and just don't have the same look and feel as regular crochet thread. There's a really pretty one in the book Crochet Master Class which I've seen advertised here that I'd like to make but so far am not having good results on the samples I've tried. Can anyone share their experience?

[Momcrochets]

I did one with the three sewing threads a few years ago. and I had a similar experience to you. It felt thinner than I was used to, and I think that accounted for part of my struggle. I know there are some thicker sewing threads, and that may help. Also I'd watch out for the shiny embroidery threads...(I made a dress for a tiny bear, using a "Regular" sewing thread and a shiny embroidery thread...THAT was fiddly. the bear was easy by comparison)...having done it once, I think it would be easier if I made a second one. I just haven't felt like it.

Something else that is fun to do, and might help you get more comfortable with multiple threads, is carrying a sewing thread with a crochet thread (size 10 or 20) and making a small doily with that. There's a couple thread artists on here who have made some beautiful pieces using both the painted technique you are asking about, and this latter. Look up RoseRed and Krakovianka, for starters.

HTH

and to the 'ville

[Raine59]

Thanks for the tips. I should have thought to do a search on this topic before I posted my first message but now have done so and got some good tips from others. I did a trial with 3 strands of embroidery floss and I like the feel of it a lot better even though it's a little bigger than sewing thread. But I also like that it comes in so many colors and you can just buy a small amount. I also like your trick of putting one strand of sewing thread with regular crochet thread. I'll put that on my long list of to-do projects. You're probably right that the shiny kind of embroidery floss would be a pain to work with but I think it would produce a nice result. Thanks again for your advice.

[ReniC]

You might consider using a size 20 or 30 crochet thread. I had better results with size 30 for the look I was seeking.

[Jsilvers]

When I use the "Painting with thread" technique, I wind the threads I want to use onto sewing machine bobbins. Then I put the bobbins into a bobbin storage box and feed just the three threads I am crocheting with through the crack between the top and side of the box.

 

As I drop a thread, i make sure to weave it in immediately and to rewind its bobbin. This is tedious and not always easy, but is a must to prevent tangling.

 

I also make sure the threads are all of the same composition. Cotton threads are probably easier to work with than polyester.

 

My preferred thread is size 30, for which I use a Bates 13 hook. I use the same hook for painting.

[crochet4ever]

I have a small block of wood and hammer 5 or so nails into it and put the amount of threads I will be needing to use on it. Then I crochet.

[Krakovianka]

I have made several painted doilies with 3 strands of sewing thread, and even more using the single strand of sewing thread with regular thread for adding color, and shading. I call that technique "frosted" doily--if you search for that, you'll probably pull up quite a few show-and-tells.

 

We also did a painted doily crochet-along a few years ago, and while we were doing that, I discovered/developed a technique for changing the colors that does not require tying knots OR weaving in the 1,000 ends this technique generates. The instructions are buried in that CAL somewhere, along with some good discussion about color placement, etc...(for example, if one of your rounds is a series of chain loops that will be entirely covered with dc's in the next round, you need to leave that row out of your color scheme--it's easier to see if you're using a charted pattern, but even if not, you have to think about it).

 

I hope you make some painted doilies--I would love to see them. And I use a size 10 hook for the 3 strands, I think.

[Flia]

I'd love to try this, but I've searched the internet and couldn't find a tutorial.

Does anyone have a link to one?

[RoseRed]

I've only done 1 'frosted' doily. I did find the thread to be fiddly to work with. I also think that the size 30 would give the doily better body.

 

If you want to talk about 2 color shading in round ripples - give me a holler.