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Rule of thumb for changing thread size?


HomekeepingGran

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Is there a rule of thumb for changing from one size thread to another? I recently bought some back issues of Magic Crochet and noticed they give an estimated size if you want to make a larger, or sometimes a smaller, finished piece. How do they figure these alternate sizes, other than actually working the crochet up? I realize fully that each will depend upon the chosen thread, the hook and the natural tension of the crocheter but beyond that, are there guidelines? Maybe a percentage up or down from a base?

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Kathy told me once that for each size of thread UP, you decrease the size by 1/3.

 

In other words, if you make a doily in size 10, the same doily made in size 20 would be 1/3 smaller....and in size 30, would be 1/3 smaller than the one made in size 20.

 

I did one of her doilies in size 20, and it really turned out to be about 2/3 of the size of the one she made in size 10.

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Cool! Thanks, rm! :hug Uhm, do you know if the yardage requirments go up by thirds, too? I know it requires more yardage in the larger threads with the smaller numbers (i.e. size 10 thread takes more yardage than size 20) but how much more I do not know. Somebody who keeps up these things oughta provide charts!

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Yardage in balls of Cébélia, as per my new (to me) Magic Crochet mags:

 

No. 5 = 141 yds

No. 10 = 282 yds

No. 20 = 405 yds

No. 30 = 563 yds

 

Since they sell by weight per ball the yardage goes up in each thread size, but that really isn't my question. My question refers to how many more yards of say, No. 10, does it take to make a doily than it would to make the same doily of No. 20, and is there also a consistent ratio between thread sizes for yardage just as there is for finished size of doilies?

 

Am I making any sense? Just tell me to hush if I am not... :kick

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The rule of thumb I have been told is to figure 1/3 larger for each size thread as you go up in size. So if you have 12 inch doily in size 30 thread it should be about 16 inches in size 20 and 20 inches in size 10. I find this to pretty true when I make the same doily in the different size threads.

I normally figure half again as much thread for each size up that I am doing. So if I do a doily that calls for 300 yards of thread in size 30, I will figure 450 yards in size 20 thread and 600 yards in size 10.

These are not carved in stone rules, Just what I have read over the years and from my own experiences.

Hope this helps.

I don't know about size 5 or size 3 as I very rarely use either one. Too bulky for my tastes in doilies.

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Thank you, Kathy! I have a habit of buying thread for one project then deciding to do another with it. Sometimes I have enough for the different project and sometimes not. These guidelines will help me know whether it's a go or not.

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  • 1 month later...

There was a chart, once uponce a time (as I used to say as a child), that showed what size a finished project would be .. depending on what size thread was used.

 

I've been trying to find that chart tonight and not having much success.

 

The 1/3 rule will help some. I'm making some snowflakes from a certain site and in size 10 thread they're coming out as Snowflakus Giganticus. According to the 1/3 rule.. looks like I'm really going to need size 30. Ouch. I was prepared for 20, but 30 is going to be a challenge as I've not ventured below 10 before.

 

Oh well, onward and upward. :) Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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(Alas) some of the vintage patterns that were on Celt's site had multi-sizing. I know, doesn't help much, but maybe that's where you saw it...

 

I had a suspicion that that was where I saw it, but with this menofog brain of mine.. I'm a little less than 100% positive about certain things.

 

Thanks for confirming what I suspected (about Celt's.. not my memory :D).

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Hard to say for sure, since it also depends on your tension and the needle size you use.

I would say Kathy's advice is about the best, and you should try a small swatch to be sure.

 

as for hooks, a 54 year old pattern book on crocheting with thread (mine from when I first started reading patterns) has a chart in the front that tells you what hook to use with the different threads, It goes down from size 70 thread ( in increments of 10) to size 10 thread, and then Knit Cro Sheen. the hooks are size 14 for a 70 and down to a size 7 for the Knit Cro Sheen.

 

It has 34 patterns in it for crocheting handkerchief edgings, and is my private treasure.

back then we made our own hankies (tissues not around yet). They even have a section

on what threads, materials and needles to use when making the hankies.

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Hard to say for sure, since it also depends on your tension and the needle size you use.

I would say Kathy's advice is about the best, and you should try a small swatch to be sure.

 

as for hooks, a 54 year old pattern book on crocheting with thread (mine from when I first started reading patterns) has a chart in the front that tells you what hook to use with the different threads, It goes down from size 70 thread ( in increments of 10) to size 10 thread, and then Knit Cro Sheen. the hooks are size 14 for a 70 and down to a size 7 for the Knit Cro Sheen.

 

It has 34 patterns in it for crocheting handkerchief edgings, and is my private treasure.

back then we made our own hankies (tissues not around yet). They even have a section

on what threads, materials and needles to use when making the hankies.

 

My sister (if she crocheted.. she knits darn it) would love that book. We've always said she was born in the wrong century. Not that she's fussy or anything.. just has an appreciation for lace and fine sewing and such that is not seen much now.

 

I thought Knit-cro-sheen was size 10. The balls I have of it are marked as such.

 

I just drug out my treasured collection of Magic Crochet and Decorative Crochet.. the longer I have them, the more I realize what a great resource they are. If they were out of copyright, I'd love to make them available for sharing.. but if I understand right, there's about another 50 years to go yet (they're mainly from the 80's)..yikes. Wonder if the paper will hold up that long?

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My sister (if she crocheted.. she knits darn it) would love that book. We've always said she was born in the wrong century. Not that she's fussy or anything.. just has an appreciation for lace and fine sewing and such that is not seen much now.

 

I thought Knit-cro-sheen was size 10. The balls I have of it are marked as such.

 

 

So did I, but this one "Coats & Clarks O.N.T. Book no 311" says for #10 use hook #8, and for "Knit-Cro-Sheen" use hook #7. I never paid much attention to any of it because I always used hook #14 for the hankie edgings. It does describe #10 being Clarks Big Ball Mercerized Crochet # Art B-34, and the Knit cro sheen as Art A-64. So evidently there was a difference, at least back then.

From what I can see, they were all O.N.T. Crochet Cotton, with Knit cro sheen as a type of the threads. Now it appears to be an entity of it's own.

Can you believe that all those patterns with full color pictures was only 10 cents back then???

Wish I had a flat bed scanner just to show you a few of the lovely hanky pictures.

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I was going through my Magic Crochets today and found a pattern for a Filet Tote that I really want to make (Oct 1986, pg 64 if any of you who have this issue want to see what I'm posting about).

 

But, I'm thinking of using some speed cro-sheen that I have on hand. Pattern calls for pearl cotton in size 5 about 1350 yds.

 

Speed Cro-sheen comes in 100 yd balls (at least the ones I have are that way)

 

I have 12+ balls of red, about 6 of black and 4 of purple. That could be really gaudy.. lol...but according to Kathy's calculation, I wouldn't have enough of the red all alone.

 

Could do the bottom and top and inbetween the flowers in black, the diamonds between and on top of the flowers in purple and the flowers in red...

 

On the other hand, I did find 2 more balls of a Red thread in size 3 called Rebekkah.. and I think they're more than 100yds on a ball...Maybe if I used the Rebekkah for the bottom of the bag, and the straps I could get away with using the speed cro-sheen for the rest? Or would that just look like bad dyelots?

 

Maybe I should just look for another project.. ROFL

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  • 4 years later...

I am bumping this up just because.  Well, just because, and because I have a friend on Ravelry who was asking for this information, and although I remembered that I had asked that here AND that I had gotten several good answers, I couldn't find it even after diligent search.  Perhaps there are other new "threadies" who would like to know how to size up or down for projects and would appreciate the good stuff in this thread.

 

:hook

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This thread would make a good topic for a sticky.

 

Agree.  I don't see very many Stickies here on C'ville, though.  (Or am I just blind?)  I wanted to look it back up but couldn't find it although I looked diligently, and finally asked on Ravelry.  Another C'ville member there took it upon himself to look too, and had better luck than I.  He was nice enough to post the link. 

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