Chainettes

Some metallics from Rainbow Gallery are chainettes. This construction gives them a soft hand but makes them a bit difficult to work with at first. However, practice solves the problem of the chainette unraveling.

There are several things to do to gain control of these yarns. You can use a larger than normal needle and come straight up and down through the canvas, being careful not to drag the yarn on the canvas. The larger needle makes a bigger hole for the yarn to pass through and there will be less friction on it. You might also try a smaller than normal needle as this tends to set the yarn in the needle and it will not run beyond the small eye of the needle. The yarn that is the tail will be lost. See which method works best for your stitching technique. Make sure that small pieces of any unraveling yarn do not get buried in your work. It will be very difficult to get these out and your stitches will look fuzzy. Some people say to break the end of the yarn rather than to cut it. If that works for you, do it.

In addition, a very small amount of Fray Check or clear fingernail polish applied to the end of the thread after it is in the needle will help. Let dry thoroughly before stitching. It is not the end of the world when the yarn unravels. Cut ahead of the raveled part and rethread your needle. Chainettes are softer and less expensive than braids. They plump, so to speak, and cover the canvas better. I believe these advantages far outweigh the initial difficulty.