Emmi in Coronado, CA asked about buying used thread. “I went to our church’s thrift store yesterday and they gave me 16 different spools of crochet thread. How do I tell if it is in good condition?”
Buying vintage, older or used thread can be a deal for the pocketbook, but may lead to headaches down the road. (Please note that I am a huge fan of buying things secondhand.) Some of these threads are useable and great, and some may have become too brittle to use. Here’s a quick check for useability.
Unwind a length of thread and try to pull it apart with as much strength as you can. If it holds up, great! If it breaks, then it will probably break while you are trying to close a ring or hide ends. Don’t use that thread.
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sometimes only the outer layers of thread are bad, and you can wind them off and try some of the thread that hasn’t been exposed to the sunlight/elements. another possible fix of older thread that has become severely dried out, is to put it in the freezer. not exactly sure why that works to rehydrate thread but it does.
Jeanne, thanks for the tip. I wouldn’t have thought of putting it in the freezer. Nifty.
Also, near the core (usually a rolls of cardboard) the pigments pf the paper may have stained the thread – I’ve seen this in a 20-years-old yarn I have, made of cotton and acrylic. The 5 last layers of thread were slightly brownish compared to the bright white rest of the yarn. And this stain will *never* be washed away without jeopardizing the chemical/physical integrity of the yarn.
Good point, thanks for sharing the tip.