A needlepoint problem that bothers me is how to stitch straw or hay. I always used to use plied and recombined overdyed floss, but I never felt as if it looked correct. It always looks too flat and a little bit shiny. I wanted something matte but with texture, looking like real straw.
Next I tried raffia, which you can buy on big spools at craft stores (it’s used as a natural ribbon). Because it is a natural product, just like straw, it looks correct, but it’s always too thick for anything smaller than 12 or 13 mesh canvas.
I had just about given up when The Thread Gatherer came out with Sea Grass, a straw-like thread that’s a perfect size for 18 mesh. I’ve had this in my stash for awhile, but finally used it in this month’s LAS mini-sock in the center right area.
I just love it. Because it looks so much like straw and feels like straw, I thought it would be brittle and hard to use. But it’s not, stitching with it on the mini-sock was no harder than using perle cotton.
In structure it’s a very narrow ribbon, so it’s perfect for being straw in a manger, a barn, or even for a broom, but it will lay flat on the canvas. I didn’t use a laying tool, but had no problems with twisting.
I also love that there is very subtle variation in the color. I can’t see it on the front of the canvas but when I flip the canvas over I can see it. This just adds to the realistic effect.
The thread comes packaged in 14-yard zippered bags and is available in over 40 colors. My only problem with the thread was cutting it into stitching lengths. I couldn’t get a handle on how to unroll the thread to cut it all at once. If you have a tip for this, add it in the comments.
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
I came across this post when I googled “seagrass thread,” in an effort to find a solution to the same problem that Janet mentions — how to unroll or open the skein. I ended up just pulling out an end as I would a skein of embroidery floss, then cutting it into lengths and putting them on a “thread drop.” Not very satisfactory, but I couldn’t think of any other way to handle it. Thank goodness it doesn’t tangle too much. Aside from that, I like the thread — you can get some very nice effects. I lay it flat for “abstract” stitches (e.g., borders), but have used it UNlaid for “natural” things such as palm leaves.
About an hour after I wrote this comment, I opened a new package of Sea Grass, and this time I was able to unroll it into a skein or “loop” that could be cut all at once. But it’s hard to describe how I did it! I just examined it closely, and saw what looked like two separate bundles of threads. I separated those two bundles very gently, which gave me a “loop” about 9 inches in diameter. I repeated the process, which gave me a “loop” twice that long, which I was then able to cut at one end. Voila! I did it again with another package, and it worked fine.