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Info CenterThis page is where I am putting some of the questions that I had answered from various visitors and customers. Please let me know if you find any mistakes on this page. I hope these information can help you. You can also drop me an email if you have any questions. Glossary of Terms1" scale: This is the American term which stands for 1 inch to 1 foot, in another word, 1 to 12 scale. Similarly 1/2" scale is 1/2 inch to a foot, 1 to 24 scale. 1/12" scale is 1/12 inch to a foot, therefore equivalent to 1:144 scale (also known as the dollhouse's dollhouse scale) Afghans: this is another name for the throws. These versatile items can be used as a blanket, a bedspread, or a cover for couches that can be pulled off to ward of the chill. The name came from the "afghan stitch" that it was used to be made of. Play Scale: This is another name for basically the "Barbie Scale", or fashion dolls where the dolls are skinny and about 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 inches tall. The patterns for these dolls can often be made to fit dollhouse scales. The easiest substitute is those patterns made with size 10 crochet cotton. Simply substitute size 30 or 50 crochet cotton and a smaller hook that will give you about half of the gauge specified and you should be all set. Those who crochet loosely may wish to use the size 80 tatting cotton instead. You will also need to shorten most of the skirts since the fashion dolls have disproportionally long legs. Yarn Size GuideThis is an attempt at capturing some of the information about yarn sizes, as well as the appropriate crochet hook/knitting needles to use for them. Please email us if you find any errors, wants to add anything, or have a question!Content: Yarn By Yarn here, I mean the somewhat furry yarn made of either wool or acrylic.
If you have worked with yarn before, the Minewette yarn is about 5000 yards per pound.
In machine knitter's term, it is size 20/2. The Minewette Yarn is has two plies twisted
loosely together, which makes for a relatively flat stitch. Coincidentally, the size
of this yarn happens to be "2-Ply" as well if the 2-ply was referring to size.
For
hand knitters, this is smaller than the baby fingering yarn which is about 2000-2300 yards per pound.
Baby Fingering Yarn is also known as 4-ply in older and British patterns.
Thread Threads have different sizing systems, though often you can't tell what system it is using unless you look closely at the fiber content and descriptions. Sizing system differ by fiber, so linen, cotton and silk all have different sizes. The sizes differ by intended use as well. Those intended for sewing machines and hand uses are different. So read on, or just look at the comparison chart below.Most threads are quoted in two numbers, looking something like 50/2, 60/2, etc. The first number is the size. The higher the number, the thinner the thread. The second number is number of plies in the individual thread. This plies (and here after in this document) is not the same plies often seen in British yarn sizes, where 3-ply, 4-ply actually indicated and actual size. The ply here is just the number of threads twisted together. It gives you an idea of how the finished product may look like. 2 ply thread thread are often a flattish thread, and finished items tends to be a little softer. 3 play threads are rounder, so knitting stitches tends to have a better definition. Cable stitches show up better as well. This is just a general rule since the tightness of you gauge has a much bigger effect. I have listed the yardage per pound when I know them. It is a good measure to compare threads. but as a comparative value rather than absolute numbers. First of all, different material are diffrent weight. Silk is lightest, followed by wool, then cotton, then linen. For example, a half-wool-half-silk blend of one size is 1920 yards per pound, while the same size of pure silk is 2000 yards. Different twists to the yarn also affects the yardage. Linen threads are always quoted in the size/ply system, since there is no linen thread intended for sewing machines. The finest linen thread that I have seen is size 120/2. You can find linen threads in weaving shops (often used for warp for its strength), and bobbin lace suppliers. We don't carry linen threads right now, though we can special order them if you like. Silk thread has one of the most confusing sizing system, because there are actually 3 common ways for the size to be displayed, for the hand sewing thread. See later part of this about the "silk machine embroidery thread".
Hand crochet cottons is probably the easiest one to understand. The common sizes as size 10 (the most common in craft stores), 20, 30, etc, going all the way down to size 100. The larger the number, the smaller the thread. An example of this is the DMC Cordonette Special line which is available from 20 to 100. DMC Tatting Cotton is of a similar make from Cordonette special, and it is size 80. Note that the sizes for crochet cotton has shifted over time. If you find an older pattern (from before 1940s), they may refer to size 70 cotton. The size 70 there is the equivalent of the current size 80. Tatting cotton is the smallest size that comes in colors other than white and ecru. The hand crochet cotton sizes matches those intended for lace making, which are quoted in the size/ply system stated as above. DMC Cordonette Special 100 is actually size 100/6. You may see something called "Egyptian Cotton" offered by lace making suppliers. The Egyptian Cotton is softer spun than crochet cotton, and not as mercerized (the slight shine). Consequently the knitting or crocheted items are softer. The smallest Egyptian cotton size I have seen is 170/2. This comes in white only. Size 140/2 and below comes in ecru as well. There is also black, but I don't know which size it is available for. Pearl cotton is another cotton that is commonly available for embroidery. It comes in size 3, 5 and 12. You will either see DMC or Anchor brand for this, though there are other smaller local brand as well. "Pearl" refers to the special silk sheen. Size 12 cotton is the thickest cotton that I find still suitable for dollhouses. Size 3 and 5 may be fun as upholstery trims and cords, and can often be found in your local needlework stores along with the DMC flosses. They are put on in skeins rather than balls. Size 12 is about the same size as cordonette special 70. Another thread which can be used for hand crochet is flower thread. which is slightly thinner than Pearl cotton 12, but a bit thicker than 1 strand of the the embroidery floss or the DMC tatting cotton. The Flower thread is a very soft crochet thread that still have nice round thread definition. Most people find it easier to crochet with then the tatting cotton. The most commonly know is the ones from DMC. They are set of 180 relatively muted colors (compare to the embroidery flosses). The sad news is that it has been discontinued by DMC. If you have a good needework shop near by for cross stitcher, and especially Hardenger work, you may be able to find some left over stock, or two other alternatives: the Ginny Thompson Flower Thread or the Original Danish Flower Thread. The color lists are different, but the thread is the same size. I have never actually see a real-life skein of the Original Danish Flower Thread, so I don't know what it feels like. The Ginnie Thompson one is a little bit more furry than DMC, but it is still a cotton thread with no elasticiticity. We still have almost all of the colors for the DMC one, and will continue to sell them until we run out. Whenever I run into it, I also buy up left over stocks from other shops. So if you are looking to complete your collection, let me know so you be notified when I get the next batch. All the above are about hand crochet cotton, or lace making threads. If something is labeled sewing thread, machine embroidery thread, or quilting thread, they follow a different numbering system. These thread are often quoted with just a number size, such as 50, or 50wt. Both stands for 50 weight. It may also give you ply information, thus giving a size 50/3, which is still weight 50, with the extra information that this is a 3-ply thread. This is quoted the same way whether the thread is cotton, silk or polyester. Size 50 sewing thread is NOT the same size as size 50 crochet cotton. I think size 50 sewing thread is somewhat smaller than the size 100 crochet cotton, though I am not completely sure. A very good brand is the Guttermann silk threads, comes in both 50 weight and 100 weight (smaller). You should be able to find them in sewing shops. They are on plastic spools and on a rack of some sort. In the same rack you may also find some local brands, such as Coats and Clark. Pay attention to the sizes and material on the spool. The ones that I found which are completely unsuitable are the ones specifically marked for hand quilting. They are often thicker to start with, and quite stiff as well. Thickness comparison chart Thickness increases as it goes down one column. Items on the same row is approximated the same size. I have also listed the knitting needle and crochet hooks suitable for the thread, though it may vary a lot depending on your style, and depending on the pattern that you are working with as well. This list is by no means complete or guarenteed accurate, please be patient while I do more research. Or better yet, help me add to it by adding or correcting any entries.Items with * are what we have available. Items with ** can be special orders at no additional charge. Please email for details as the order time vary greatly depending what you want.
Tips for KnittingFor mini stitch holders, try use the smallest paper clip you can find If it is about the same size as your knitting needles, just unbend the paper clip enough to put the stitches on there. This is better than using safety pins since the thread will get stuck in the side. If the paper clip is too thick, thread a sewing needle with a thread that is thicker than what you are knitting with and not too slippery (crochet cottons works well) and put the stitches on that. In a pinch, whatever you are knitting with works fine too! You can tie a knot on the thread to keep it safe, and snip it open once you are ready to knit with it again.Tips for CrochetEvery crochet different, and the difference in gauge is magnified when you work on minis. If you are trying to crochet to a specific gauge but can't match both the horizantal and vertical gauge, you may be able to change the pattern a bit to fit, if the pattern is mostly made up of double crochet. To get it to be taller, change all of the double crochet to treble crochet, and make an extra chain for turning. To get it to be shorter, change them all to half double crochet, and make a less chain for turning.Other Online ResourcesThere are a lot of miniaturist online. My favorite place is SmallStuff. It is a mailing list which you can either get email or just browse online, with archives of old messages. There are also a huge list of links of places to visit. Go over and take a look! There are several online groups on Yahoo Groups! as well. The names of the groups are: "DollhouseMiniatures", "MiniKnitting", "MiniKnittingAndCrochet" and "MiniatureCrochet". Go to Yahoo Groups! for how to join the groups. You will need to sign up for a Yahoo ID for this if you don't already have one. You can elect to get emails as individual mail, as a daily digest, or just browse on the web. |
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