Forum - Hints - Thread thickness questions

zzoowwiiee

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1 year, 4 months ago by zzoowwiiee

Im getting into making alpha wall hangings, keychains, bookmarks, etc., but i feel like they all come out the size of a keychain no matter what pattern i use or how loose i try and tie my knots. My knots naturally tend to be tighter than i think some peoples alpha knots are, but my patterns are legible so i just try to tie in the way that’s comfy for me.

Question here basically is: would having thicker strand thread help me? would using just thicker base strings help me?

I use basic 6 strand embroidery thread & sometimes yarn, but i don’t mix the 2 when i’m making something. The yarn piece(s) i make do tend to be longer, so i think thicker thread will help me, but i can’t find any embroidery thread thicker than 6 strands. So, what is the solution here? is there thicker string i can get? do i double the amount of strings i tie with or the base strings? i can’t seem to find any info on this lol

halokiwi

Moderator

1 year, 4 months ago by halokiwi

The easiest solution would be to pick patterns with bigger dimensions. If all your alphas turn out to be the size of keychains, that is probably due to the amount of knots in the pattern. You'd need patterns with more base strings and more rows.

@KrazyKnotz gives the following dimensions in her tutorial on picking good keywords:
- Keychains have under 30 base strings. They are short in length and thin in width.
- Bookmarks are thin in width but long in length (at least about 3x longer than wide).
- Wallhangings are bigger than keychains (so more than 30 base strings)

Here are the patterns from your to-dos that would be suitable for wallhangings:
https://www.braceletbook.com/todos/user-zzoowwiiee/?type=a&order-by=strings&strings-from=31

I sorted them by amounts of string, so the smaller patterns come first and you are not immediately overwhelmed by the size.

And now to answer your questions:

Would having thicker strand thread help me?
I assume, you mean the leading strings. Using thicker leading strings will make help make your knots bigger.

Would using just thicker base strings help me?
Using thicker leading strings will make the knots wider. Usually if leading strings and base strings are the same thickness the knots tend to be longer than wide, so I recommend using base strings that are a little thicker than your leading strings.

halokiwi

Moderator

1 year, 4 months ago by halokiwi

Sorry, I did not answer all your questions

So, what is the solution here? Is there thicker string i can get? Do i double the amount of strings i tie with or the base strings?

Yes, there is thicker string you can get, but that string isn't embroidery floss. You can use other materials that are bigger than embroidery floss. I think I've even seen people use rope meant for macrame before. You can definitely size your works up by using bigger materials.

I recommend going up with both of the sizes of the leading strings and the base strings. Going up with just one will mess with the proportions of the knots. I recommend for the base strings to be a little thicker than the leading strings.

zzoowwiiee Advanced	1 year, 4 months ago by zzoowwiiee Im getting into making alpha wall hangings, keychains, bookmarks, etc., but i feel like they all come out the size of a keychain no matter what pattern i use or how loose i try and tie my knots. My knots naturally tend to be tighter than i think some peoples alpha knots are, but my patterns are legible so i just try to tie in the way that’s comfy for me. Question here basically is: would having thicker strand thread help me? would using just thicker base strings help me? I use basic 6 strand embroidery thread & sometimes yarn, but i don’t mix the 2 when i’m making something. The yarn piece(s) i make do tend to be longer, so i think thicker thread will help me, but i can’t find any embroidery thread thicker than 6 strands. So, what is the solution here? is there thicker string i can get? do i double the amount of strings i tie with or the base strings? i can’t seem to find any info on this lol
halokiwi Moderator	1 year, 4 months ago by halokiwi The easiest solution would be to pick patterns with bigger dimensions. If all your alphas turn out to be the size of keychains, that is probably due to the amount of knots in the pattern. You'd need patterns with more base strings and more rows. @KrazyKnotz gives the following dimensions in her tutorial on picking good keywords: - Keychains have under 30 base strings. They are short in length and thin in width. - Bookmarks are thin in width but long in length (at least about 3x longer than wide). - Wallhangings are bigger than keychains (so more than 30 base strings) Here are the patterns from your to-dos that would be suitable for wallhangings: https://www.braceletbook.com/todos/user-zzoowwiiee/?type=a&order-by=strings&strings-from=31 I sorted them by amounts of string, so the smaller patterns come first and you are not immediately overwhelmed by the size. And now to answer your questions: Would having thicker strand thread help me? I assume, you mean the leading strings. Using thicker leading strings will make help make your knots bigger. Would using just thicker base strings help me? Using thicker leading strings will make the knots wider. Usually if leading strings and base strings are the same thickness the knots tend to be longer than wide, so I recommend using base strings that are a little thicker than your leading strings.
halokiwi Moderator	1 year, 4 months ago by halokiwi Sorry, I did not answer all your questions So, what is the solution here? Is there thicker string i can get? Do i double the amount of strings i tie with or the base strings? Yes, there is thicker string you can get, but that string isn't embroidery floss. You can use other materials that are bigger than embroidery floss. I think I've even seen people use rope meant for macrame before. You can definitely size your works up by using bigger materials. I recommend going up with both of the sizes of the leading strings and the base strings. Going up with just one will mess with the proportions of the knots. I recommend for the base strings to be a little thicker than the leading strings.

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