Forum - Newbies - What Type of String is Best for Bracelets? | BraceletBook

What Type of String is Best for Bracelets?

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CubeNite Advanced	1 week, 3 days ago by CubeNite I am looking to buy more strings but am not sure what's best. I've used embroidery floss and craft thread. Embroidery floss is difficult to work with because of its tendency to fray/split, especially annoying when undoing mistakes. Craft thread is much more enjoyable to work with but the knots look inconsistent up close because the more 'coarse' 2-ply creates visible valleys and bumps. I've also seen a whole lot of other strings. Some include "perle cotton," "floche," and "3-ply mercerized cotton." I guess ideally I would want a string with a few more plies than craft thread to make it more uniform on the surface, while still having high resistance to fraying so I can undo mistakes without worrying. My only other worry is that whatever string that meets these criteria might have a much smaller selection of sellers, so it might be more expensive and have limited colour options. What does everyone typically settle on?
EggMan Bracelet King	1 week, 3 days ago by EggMan Embroidery thread is the standard. most people use it. it really depends which brand you use, though. i've found that DMC, for example, frays and splits a LOT. If there are other brands of embroidery threads available to you, I'd say buy a couple of colors just to try out. hopefully one of them would work for you. Crochet cotton is also an option, number 5 is a good size, but it does work out a bit thicker than embroidery thread. It works easily and doesn't fray, and it's really shiny. I don't know if colors are super available, as I only really buy it white when I want to dye thread, as it costs less per meter. perle cotton is super easy to find, but it's way thin, so I don't like it. it takes a lot of time to make anything size 2 cotton yarn will probably work, though I don't have much experience with it. That's all that I know. I hope you find thread that works for you Also, if the craft thread only looks off if you look super close, it's probably fine.
CubeNite Advanced	1 week, 2 days ago by CubeNite I'm going to use embroidery thread for now just because of it being the standard and having tons of colour options. I saw online that DMC splits a lot like you said, and that Iris splits much less. Random Amazon brands might split less too, which would be a win win for ease of use and price, and what I decided to purchase for now. I think there are different sizes of Perle cotton so maybe it won't take that long to make designs if i choose a sufficiently thick type (I think size 3 matches standard embroidery thread). But it's still 2 ply so the inconsistent knot look would still happen. Although as you said, the look is not really noticeable unless you are like 3 inches away. If I decide I don't mind the look, I could probably use anything 2 ply that doesn't split. I also found some other options, like "Coton à Broder" (I think it's too thin even at its largest size option though) and DMC Soft Cotton/Retors Mat (which is actually promising, 4-ply but indivisible, same thickness as embroidery thread, and available in a lot of colours and at Michael's for me). Honestly might go with Retors Mat next time I need any string. On the topic of thread choice, I was looking into alphas, and some of the more complex designs (I saw one of The Great Wave off Kanagawa) end up looking like literal mini tapestries. Would it be viable to use a much thicker thread like yarn or thicker to size up an intricate alpha to make it actually look more like a full-fledged tapestry? I'm not sure if the larger thread might cause weird side effects and make the knots look different at all.
EggMan Bracelet King	1 week, 2 days ago by EggMan You can definitely use thicker thread! it's especially striking in large alphas like you suggested, but it works in any piece. the main Side effect would come from what fiber the yarn/thread is made of. cotton is pretty smooth and doesn't compress very much, so the stitches stay large and pronounces, but acrylic or wool, for instance, are squishy and fuzzy, so the stitches end up blurring together a little bit. i recommend sticking to cotton. the individual plies are more visible as well, though I think it looks nice. Also, thicker threads/yarns sort of untwist a little with the knots in friendship bracelets. it's really not too bad, in my experience, and only sometimes noticeable. There are a few examples in my photos if you want to look, worked in just basic number 3 cotton yarn. my photos under patterns #152087, #163117, and #149824. I find cotton yarn super nice to work with, and it's also a great hack for when you want to make a small pattern bigger, for a pin or a keychain, or something. from looking it up, Coton Á Broder definitely seems too thin. the largest size on the dmc website is 16, which is teeny tiny. unless you're going for miniatures, i'd stay away

EggMan Bracelet King	1 week, 2 days ago by EggMan also! when talking in the forums you can tag people like this: @EggMan (@ +the person's username). it sends a notification so they can reply
CubeNite Advanced	1 week, 2 days ago by CubeNite @EggMan Just saw your bio and it's like I found the perfect person lol. Your yarn pieces look amazing, thanks for sharing them. Hopefully soon I'll try some alphas and work up to pieces worthy of yarn. Thanks for your help!
EggMan Bracelet King	1 week, 1 day ago by EggMan I'm so glad i was able to help! :^D and thank you for the compliments (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)
winter_1 Skiller	5 days, 4 hours ago by winter_1 I love DMC. It has a nice soft texture, but for me it doesn't split. If it does, I would get it damp so they stay together. I also use Iris, but it has rougher material.

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