How many sizes of six-cord?

[TrK]

Summer is here and so are my children. That means close to no crocheting, but then I got an idea. When they have gone to sleep I crochet one or two of the same motif, but in different sizes of six-cord, mercerised crochet thread. An interesting, little project.

So far I’ve crocheted it in sizes 200, 150, 100, 80, 70, 60 and 50 and I’m working on one in 40 right now.

However, there is a considerable gap between sizes 100 and 80 — has there ever been a size 90? I miss the rare 160, 140 and 120 — and has there ever been a size 180?

In the days to come there are sizes 30, 20, 10 and…? 8, 5 and 3? Are there more coarse sizes of six-cord, mercerised crochet thread?

Life is too short for other kinds of threads, so I’ll only focus on this type.

When they are all finished, washed and blocked I’l post a picture of them all  (Today’s photo is from a test run of the pattern in size 200.)

[NCcountrygal]

I do enjoy seeing your work. My eyes and fingers can’t work with such fine thread. 

[Granny Square]

Lovely motif!  I think me (and my eyes and fingers) are the same generation as NCcountrygal, I have worked with #20 and #30 crochet thread in the past but mostly work #10 size now.  Most of what is available in the US is 3 ply, however, not 6, and you need to search specialized sellers to find anything smaller than #30.  You may have more choices in Europe?

5 and 3 are mercerized sizes we can find in the US (almost like sock weight yarn), but 8 sounds like a perle (or pearl, I've seen it spelled both ways) cotton (embroidery thread), which sizes are a a different size scale than crochet cotton.  Here is one (blog) site that discusses the size comparison

Edited July 1, 2021 by Granny Square

[Bailey4]

I was looking for sources for size 20 and came across Creative Yarn Source.  They have a good color selection in size 20 and 30 which I found challenging to find.  They have a more limited selection in in sizes 40-60 primarily shades of white.

No association with the company but I was frustrated at only finding white and off white in size 20 in my initial searches.  I'd bought other yarn from Creative Yarn before but hadn't thought to check them for thread when I was looking for smaller than size 10 for doll clothes.

Doesn't answer the OP's question but I suspect I'm not the only one who has wanted something other than white shades in size 20 or 30.

[Granny Square]

I haven't been at Joanns' for a while, but last time I was there they carried size 20 in colors (Lizbeth).   There is 1odd color size 80 listed so I'm guessing that size is not going to continue being stocked.

[Bailey4]

I haven't been in the store since the start of COVID when I order online I was only able to get white.  I just checked and I could get coffee, a tube of shades of blue and white.  I like having color options.

[ReniC]

CraftCorner sells Lizbeth threads in different colors and sizes. I've not ordered from them before but their prices seem reasonable. According to their Shipping info, it sounds like it might be a bit pricey.

Amazon.com has thread in different sizes also. They are somewhat pricey, but, that's how they cover their "free" shipping when using Prime.

DMC.com sells crochet thread direct. Their shipping fees are based on amount of order.

[NCcountrygal]

I’ve been seeing the Creative Yarn Source ad in Crochet World for Omega brand. Just browsed over there in the thread section 

https://creativeyarnsource.com/product-category/omega-threads/?product-page=1

Lots of colors and they say available from size 10 to 60.  Sigh, what’s average sewing thread thickness?  Can hardly get that to thread a needle these days without my eyes blurring. 

[Bailey4]

It depends on Vendors with Amazon.  I tried GOLO for 20 thread and I ended up getting a refund it never arrived.  No info from vendor.

I'd only ever used Aunt Lydia's and Hobby Lobby brand thread before trying Creative Yarn brand so I don't have a wide experience with thread.  I found it flowed easy over the hooks.  It didn't snag.

[ReniC]

I forgot to mention, when I'm looking for special thread/yarn, I depend on my local yarn shop. They have helped me find them when I couldn't find anything in the big box stores. They even helped my husband find gifts for me for birthdays, Christmas, etc. LOL! 

Edited July 3, 2021 by ReniC

[Bailey4]

I think its great you have a good relationship with your LYS.  I've never had much luck.  I've tried several over the years in this area and I'd much rather shop online.  That has included shopping at LYS stores that offer online shopping when they have products I need.  There is one I can think of that I've had great experiences with online but my one trip there was not something I'd repeat.

[TrK]

True, ecru and whites seem to be to only option in finer than 80. Just ordered an 80 Lizbeth in black to try. Never tried that brand.

I’ve got lots of vintage tatting six-cord in bright colours and variegated ones; they are sizes 70/80 I believe.

Now my problem is finding the coarsest ones. I found 3 and 10 online here in Norway.

The ones in the picture are: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 150 and 200. Not too happy about the motif, so I’ll be crocheting small Irish rose-doilies instead — with hooks from the same brand and not like here with the ones I happened to have at hand.

[NCcountrygal]

In the crochet show and tell thread section. 

She does a lot of fine thread work. 

[TrK]

Yes, seen that — love that kind of work, delicate  Wish many, many more crocheters did this.

[Granny Square]

I love your spectrum of motifs with 10 sizes of thread, that is a great reference for relative sizing; I have seen some vintage doily patterns give you that gives a measurement for working up the same doily with 30, 20, 10 size thread, but not smaller (these are patterns from the 1930s-1940s mostly).  The only US patterns I've seen that mention smaller thread are 100 year old + patterns, 99% of modern US patterns I've seen are pretty much size 10 or thicker--which is probably why our yarn stores don't carry much in the smaller sizes.

 

[TrK]

Come to think of it, the 1930s are close to a century ago 🙀 Time flies!
 

There are quite a few patterns from that decade and earlier that use the finest sizes, but I’ve never seen a pattern using finer thread than 160. Hmm 🤔 Working with those sizes works fine and is lots of fun. The photo shows one of the doilies I crocheted using size 200 thread.

We need to make more delicate crochet popular again

 

[NCcountrygal]

1 hour ago, TrK said:

Yes, seen that — love that kind of work, delicate  Wish many, many more crocheters did this.

Those that do are scattered around the world it seems. 

[Granny Square]

Lovely work!  When I said 100 year old plus, I was thinking of books on Antique Pattern Library, there are a bunch of books from around 1918-ish (this is what I meant by a little over 100 years, but you are right, time marches on).  The page on that site I linked above is sorted by a mix of author, publisher's name, or thread company name--example, the first 4 in the "A" section are: title, author, title, and thread company name.

[Veronika Rohrhofer]

On 7/7/2021 at 4:11 PM, TrK said:

True, ecru and whites seem to be to only option in finer than 80. Just ordered an 80 Lizbeth in black to try. Never tried that brand.

I’ve got lots of vintage tatting six-cord in bright colours and variegated ones; they are sizes 70/80 I believe.

Now my problem is finding the coarsest ones. I found 3 and 10 online here in Norway.

The ones in the picture are: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 150 and 200. Not too happy about the motif, so I’ll be crocheting small Irish rose-doilies instead — with hooks from the same brand and not like here with the ones I happened to have at hand.

 

[Veronika Rohrhofer]

I never had a chance to get a crochet thread size 200. I would think it equals the size of the Gütermann C Ne 50 sewing thread which comes in so many colors all over the world. Perhaps you could try to work with the Gütermann C Ne 50 sewing thread and compare it to your 200 crochet thead. By the way I am usig a TULIP hook size 0,35mm.

[TrK]

On 7/11/2021 at 5:52 PM, Veronika Rohrhofer said:

I never had a chance to get a crochet thread size 200. I would think it equals the size of the Gütermann C Ne 50 sewing thread which comes in so many colors all over the world. Perhaps you could try to work with the Gütermann C Ne 50 sewing thread and compare it to your 200 crochet thead. By the way I am usig a TULIP hook size 0,35mm.

Hey, that’s my favourite, too — the 0,35. For size 150 I use the 0,40.

I’ve never considered using anything but thread made for crochet as, well, it isn’t made for crochet, I’ve got more than enough balls these sizes and life’s too short.

However, perhaps I should give it a go?

The sizes 120, 140 and 160 are hard to come by. Did 180 ever exist?

[NCcountrygal]

Grandson is napping so I did some info searching on thread. 
https://www.needlenthread.com/2014/02/thread-talk-sizing-up-cotton-threads.html

3 cord, 6 cord and plies

https://sharonstattedlace.blogspot.com/2007/08/thread-comparison.html

https://crochetnmore.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/know-your-cotton-yarnthreadhook/
 

Tatting vs Crochet

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/what-is-tatting-4692833

IrishCrochet and some History

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/what-is-irish-crochet-lace-5190702

[TrK]

Now we are talking fine thread!

There’s almost no limit as to what I’d pay for a case of size 250 and 300  Appears to be four-cord(?), but none the less.

By the way; I asked Tulip in Japan if they did know of any manufacturers anywhere in the world that make six-cord in sizes finer than no. 100, mercerised crochet thread, but they didn’t:(

Edited July 16, 2021 by TrK

[Granny Square]

300!!!  

[Veronika Rohrhofer]

I would be ready to try anything finer than 200.

I have a good comparison for crochet thread 150 (J&P COATS) to my usually used Gütermann C Ne 50 sewing thread.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Veronika Rohrhofer
a mistake in the text