Stitchboard Admin message #136
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 26, 2013 at 7:52:40 PM
 
Sherry,

LOL, I never thought of embroidery floss!  Great idea!  I was thinking more bedspread cotton...though if the strings are thick enough, perhaps even worsted weight cotton.  I wonder how the self-striping stuff would work?  Sounds like a fun experiment! 

I generally don't crochet with embroidery floss anymore because I found that unless I want to go 6 full strands, it's such a pain.    To split an entire skein requires winding and winding onto something (I used to cut up paper towel tubes).  Yeesh, more trouble than it's worth.  Though that was also for making tiny teddy bears and such...perhaps 6 strands would be better for crocheting over strings.  Wonder who sells the variegated color floss these days?

If you have any strings to spare, thank you...that would be wonderful!    I don't know how I'd find the time, either...sigh! 

Does Rustoleum stick without having to rough up the strings?  Yeesh, the only way to stop tool marks would have to be to coat the jaws of pliers and whatnot with tool dip.  I think I've read about people doing that, just because they don't want to scratch wire and/or findings.

Awww, yeah, the only things that can be listed in the mall right now are downloads...finished items will ultimately follow.    LOL, lighting another flame!    So many plans, so little time...hubby needs a clone or three!  (Shuddering at the thought of more than one...  )

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Stitchboard Admin message #138
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 27, 2013 at 7:53:50 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #2)
 
Sherry,

Argh, I think you're right about the metal of the strings being too much for the floss.    I agree, bedspread cotton...though I wouldn't be unhappy at least trying the worsted cotton, just for giggles.

They buy whole sets for the thinnest string, I'm guessing?  Is that the one that always breaks?

Glad the Rustoleum would stick to the larger strings!  They must be made rough for the best sound, perhaps?  I know almost nothing about it.  I had a guitar ages ago, but it was stolen. 

Hmm, I would still suggest trying the tool dip...plastic sounds like it would be a bear, but tool dip should be more rubbery than plastic.    I don't have any tool dip, or I'd try that!  Anyway, I'd think that would be enough not to have any slippage.  Okay...halfway...I just asked hubby and he confirmed that tool dip is rubbery. 

Good point about the wire cutters...have done the same thing, grrrrrrrrr!    Though with this, I was thinking to keep working until a string runs out, perhaps picking up another if it doesn't seem like enough.  It would be interesting to see how big of a bracelet one string alone would make!    Best part of all...in theory...no cutting required! 

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Stitchboard Admin message #140
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 28, 2013 at 11:11:04 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #4)
 
Sherry,

Not sure why, but I keep imagining tool dip on crochet hooks.    LOL, ACK!  Can you imagine fighting that?  It would be the ultimate in self-punishment!  Or at least a good way to punish a crocheter. 

Your talents are put to far better use, anyway!    Music is nice, but you're talented at crochet and jewelry, too, though the jewelry takes more effort, sigh.  Thank goodness there's no requirement to be able to play a musical instrument, huh?!    Better to play with the strings and make something out of them.    Sounds like way more fun to me! 

LOL, that's a good, diplomatic answer!    But you can also point out how you keep those strings from being dumped and how they last just about forever with what you do. 

Hope your dinner went well!    I'm so sorry...there was a hardware problem, so the site went down this morning.    You probably got caught in it about the time it started going down. 

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Stitchboard Admin message #142
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 29, 2013 at 8:40:23 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #6)
 
Sherry,

LOL, I think the crocheter would have to be someone one absolutely despised to play that kind of prank on them!  Well, except for April Fools Day.    Hee hee, aren't you glad you never suggested that to your grandson?! 

I'm sure the bracelets are a big hit!  They're amazing! 

If my experiments work out, I thought of a few other ideas...still half baked, so will see where those ideas lead. 

I love imagining something, too...and then making it a reality!  Especially something that wasn't necessarily meant for a medium like crochet (or whatever area) in the first place.    That's the fun of it, IMO!

Same here, sigh...gifts.    Once the gifts are done, then I'll be back to experimenting...my Hanukkah gifts are definitely going to be late.    It's my own stupid fault, though.

Re: the hardware problem: we lease a server out of state, so the tech people replaced what was needed.    Thankfully, it's rare for something like this to happen; in 5 1/2 years the most we've been down prior to this at any one time was 20 minutes (this time was about an hour and a half)...I feel bad for the people who had to work yesterday, but they had a full tech staff operating on Thanksgiving.    They're a class act, and in comparison to our previous company, totally responsive to issues.  Ack, our previous company used to respond to problems by turning on voicemail, never answering phones, and then you couldn't reach a soul until the problem was fixed.    Sadly, it wasn't so much a problem with the techs, it was that they were so overloaded on their hardware, down time was frequent.    We couldn't have that here, so we really looked into the options, found someone better and switched! 

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Stitchboard Admin message #144
Re: Tunisian gauge
November 30, 2013 at 3:21:33 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #8)
 
Sherry,

Aww, thanks...isn't it so much fun to think, "I wonder if this will work" and then later find out it does? 

Ugh, I'm so sorry you had that experience, too, with Web companies.    Many of them are unresponsive.  It took literally months of looking around and reading feedback before we found the company we ultimately went with.  What we didn't want was a repeat of the previous experience.  It was such a disaster.  Almost every day, there was a problem.  Email would be down, sites would be down, and all we could do was fill out a trouble ticket...and wait.  And since it affected other people's sites, not just our own, it was totally unacceptable.    We never knew if the sites were going to be down three minutes, three hours or three days.

Ugh, can you imagine the numbers of customers they lost? 

Oooh, I saw a free pattern yesterday and am trying to remember where it was...I thought it would be great for dishcloths!  It was used as an afghan motif, IIRC...argh, trying to remember...oh, yeah, this was it:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2a091a437711eee885624a193&id=64ffa9f6b7

After you scroll down beyond all of the ads to get to the pattern, scroll down a little more and you'll see a picture beneath the words "Pattern Begins Here" which really shows off the motifs.  What do you think?  Does it look like those popcorn stitches would be good for scrubbing?    Oh, yeesh, I spoke too soon...the motifs are 9 1/2" from point to point.    Way too large for dishcloths.

Maybe they could be used for spa cloths?  Or is that still too large?

Wonder if there would be a good way to reduce them? 

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Stitchboard Admin message #146
Re: Tunisian gauge
December 1, 2013 at 6:22:05 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #10)
 
Sherry,

It's so cool to get unconventional ideas when trying something completely different, isn't it?    Love when things suddenly line up to work that way! 

Oh, yeah, there's really a lot to it.    It's not just a matter of simply switching, and like you said, you're one person...you'd have to do everything yourself! 

I'm so glad you got the pattern!    Hope it turns out to be something you can use!  I really love how pretty it is.    I wish it were smaller, the right size for a dishcloth without having to mess with the pattern.  Anyway, at least it should be close to the right size for a spa cloth, if not exactly the right size...I can't wait to see what you do! 

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Stitchboard Admin message #148
Re: Tunisian gauge
December 2, 2013 at 4:51:42 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #12)
 
Sherry,

Oooh, that's terrific!  I think 7 inches is doable for whatever...9 inches is way different! 

Sigh, and my stitches are loose.    So I'd have to sit down with it, too.  Maybe the key for me would be to alter the pattern a bit.

I have...Peaches 'n Cream cotton, I think?  Definitely will take some experimenting.  Not sure who, if anyone, around here would sell Caron cotton.

Eeek, the holes in it...I'm not sure about that for a dishcloth, either!    Maybe better for a spa cloth, then.

Nothing wrong with cooking, if you enjoy it! 

I'm slowly getting my dishcloths done.  Have about a quarter of a TKS square, which I'll probably edge with sc.  I do not look forward to blocking.  Last time I had to block, my iron wasn't working well.  It's elderly, and really should have been replaced some time ago.  I had my eye on one at Walmart with a non-stick soleplate, but not sure if they even carry it anymore...this would have been at least five years ago.  Anyway, the amount of steam this elderly iron spits out is pitiful.  It used to do a nice steaming job, but doesn't now.

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Stitchboard Admin message #150
Re: Tunisian gauge
December 3, 2013 at 7:28:25 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #14)
 
Sherry,

The Caron sounds nice!    Love that it's a bit lighter weight than the Sugar 'n Cream.  Peaches 'n Cream is what Walmart carries.  I would say it's comparable to the Sugar 'n Cream...I haven't had any problem with it. 

It's interesting that you say the cotton seems to be a little lighter than worsted...have you noticed their Simply Soft also is a bit lighter?  It's not a sport weight...I'd say closer to worsted, but isn't as thick as RH.  I loved it for items where going a little smaller helped.  (That was before Walmart started charging a fortune for it, sight.)  I wonder if most of their yarns are like that...a little lighter than conventional weight yarns.

Oh, true, good point!  Why block a dishcloth?!  Love, love, love that you thought of it!    I'm with you...the less time I spend with my iron, the better (especially since it's not working well, anyway).  Laundry, ironing and dishes, sigh.  Bleah. 

One question, though...at least the beginning of my TKS dishcloth is very curly.  Short of blocking, how would you suggest flattening TKS?  Will the edging tend to flatten it, or will it still want to curl? 

Awww, it's so nice that you can be with your granddaughter.    I'm with you on cooking...it depends on who it's for, of course. 

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