If you want a very sparkly thread for your needlepoint, look to Crystal Braid from Rainbow Gallery. This metallic braid comes in three golds as well as pastel colors. The red pictured here is by far the darkest color of this thread.
Because it’s a metallic braid, more than one color can make up this single strand thread, and that’s the secret to its sparkle. In the three shades on my desk (gold, light green, and lavender) I see clear Mylar, green, white, as well as more than one shade of the main color. Under the light they glitter and sparkle, just sitting on the cards. Rainbow Gallery describes this quality as “icy.”
This quality makes them stand out from other metallics as well as threads around them. When I use Crystal Braid for something solidly stitched, it really attracts attention. If I have isolated stitches or lines of metallic, as in stars on the polar bear cub below, the extra sparkle of Crystal Braid is a big advantage — it keeps those stitches from disappearing and allows them to be the accents they are supposed to be.
The thread is equivalent in size to 12-strand Treasure Braid from Rainbow Gallery or to Kreinik Tapestry (#12) braid. That makes it a great fit on 18-mesh. If you have looser tension, you could also use it on 13 or 14 mesh.
Tips for Using Crystal Braid
While it is very sturdy when stitched, I find it always comes untwisted in the needle. When untwisted you can continue to stitch with it, but it’s a pain when you need to rethread. Your life will be easier if you stitch with shorter lengths, although this will not solve the untwisting.
You probably could keep the thread from untwisting by cutting it with a Thread Zapper or by sealing the end with a bit of clear nail polish. These should both work because they seal the strands together at the end of the thread.
Once you have some stitches in place, the slightly rough texture of Crystal Braid makes it easy to run the thread through the backs of stitches to start and end them.
The color of this thread, as well as its sparkle means that the structure of many stitches will be muted when stitched in this thread. It will work better in textured stitches that are one layer and that have clearly defined stitch units. Scotch would be a great choice but Rice and Nobuko would not be as good.
If you have not stitched with metallics before, this metallic can be frustrating. It is soft, so you can make stitches easily. The untwisting problem does make it more challenging than other metallics for the beginning stitcher.
This thread is a great one to use when you want some special metallic effects.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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