I must admit that I cringe at the thought of using pearl cotton or threads that are packaged in loose skeins because inevitably I cut the wrong end and tangle the thread.
And to add insult to injury, I invariably lose the labels with the printed color numbers; which can be very frustrating when stitching Bargello needlepoint.
But no more…I’ve found a tangle-free way to make these fibers easily accessible without having to remove the labels.
Pearl cotton is produced in twisted skeins that are folded prior to labeling, and therefore must be cut before use. Here’s what to do.
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Step 1: Lay a skein of pearl cotton on a table top or other flat surface. Slide the labels toward the center of the skein. Notice the two different end pieces in the skein. One end is folded and the other has two loops. DO NOT CUT THE FOLDED END. |
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Step 2: Pick up the end with the two loops and cut through both of these loops, making sure to snip every thread. |
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Step 3: Cut the knot from one of the two loops and remove it from the skein. Slide the labels about 2 inches from each end to keep the thread neatly in place. DO NOT REMOVE THE LABELS. |
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Step 4: As needed, carefully remove each strand of thread with a laying tool or needle by lifting it from the uncut end (the folded loop) while keeping the labels in place. |
Once you’ve cut pearl cotton using this 4-step process, store the prepared thread in snack or sandwich sized plastic bags for easy retrieval the next time you stitch a Bargello pattern.
I love your blog, I’ve learned so much. Thank you.
Can you PLEASE tell me a good way to store/organize my pearl cotton.
Hello Julie, welcome and thanks for visiting. I also love to knit too, and enjoy spending hours in my favorite knitting shop. I hope you will give Bargello needlepoint a try as well. Althea
Hello, I am new too your site, I have just picked your link from Bella crafts online. I had too say your site is very informative and creative, I knit mostly but also love too sew and cross stitch when I can fit that in. best wishes Julie.C
Hello Helen, thanks for the encouragement and support and keep on stitchin’ Bargello needlepoint! Althea
THanks you for solving one of the great mysteries of embroidery and needlepoint.
I am extremely impressed with your website/blog. What a wealth of information you have shared. Please keep up the good work!
Thank you for this tip, I always ended up with a mess of tangled threads.
You’re very welcome! Althea
Thank you so much!