Gossamer Silk

[redietz]

Yes, Philip,
I did some searching. Pearsall's Naples Silk is heavier, and may be perfect for bodies. I'll have to try some myself. I believe this would be about 4/0. I'm not sure if this would be to heavy to my liking or not. The silk thread I have is sewing size A and to me is prefect. I believe the Naples is used for rod building, but I think it'd work for silk bodies. Not sure how many colors are available.

I'm pretty sure that every Naples comes in every color as Gossamer, and vice-versa. And, yes, it's the preferred silk for wrapping cane rods

[willowhead]

Great thread.....i found some really nice Japanese silk threads at Walmart that come verigated. The color changes every inch or so.....and there are a lot of different color combinations you can get. The stuff is great, and wraps very nicely even with my torn up fingers. No problem with fraying at all. i'll get the exact info and post it later. i'm on the road at present. The bobbins it comes on, are quite large.....so your bobbin holders are not going to be of any use.....but that's not a problem because of the previously mentioned. Fortunately, that large size will afford you enough for a lifetime most likely.

[daringduffer]

Since it has always annoyed me that the silk spools are not marked with identity I compiled this list from http://www.flyrodcrafters.com/servlet/t ... ing/Detail


Pearsall's Silk, Gossamer



#00 Ecru

#1 White,

#2 Straw

#3 Primrose Yellow

#5 Lemon Yellow

#6 Amber

#6A Gold

#7 Blue

#8 Purple

#9 Black

#9A Gray

#10 Ash

#11 Golden Yellow

#11A Scarlet

#12 Cardinal Red

#15 Dark Claret

#16 Olive Green

#17 Brown

#18 Highlander Green

#19 Hot Orange

#20 Light Olive

#30 Java Brown

#31 Antique Gold

#32 Classic Chestnut

#33 Jasper

#35 Salmonberry

#191 Claret

dd

Edit - added #2 Straw. Also missing is Ash. I don't know the # for this. Edit no 2: (Should be #10 Ash). #00 Ecru, #11 Golden Yellow (as Jim adds in a post).Edit no 3: #7 Blue (narcodog).

The following picture is from "Brook and River Trouting".

[narcodog]

Not marking the spools is also one of my peeves. There are several colors that are so very close that for it is hard differentiate. them.

[mvendon]

Deleted

[wsbailey]

I recently was checking out the Pearsall's website:
http://www.pearsallsembroidery.com/inde ... 1fc5dd081a
and found that the list of available colors has diminished considerably. I hope this isn't a bad omen. The name gossamer has an interesting history: http://www.waywordradio.org/of-gossamer-and-geese/ In Sweden they use the term sommartrad for the same thing. Bill

[daringduffer]

I recently was checking out the Pearsall's website:
http://www.pearsallsembroidery.com/inde ... 1fc5dd081a
and found that the list of available colors has diminished considerably. I hope this isn't a bad omen. The name gossamer has an interesting history: http://www.waywordradio.org/of-gossamer-and-geese/ In Sweden they use the term sommartrad for the same thing. Bill

Bill,

This Swedish connection was new to me. I did a search and let Google translate the result:

During hot summer days, it happens that rainfall over a particular area may be very different in nature than the normal, warm summer rains. Instead of water falls the long glistening strands across the landscape.
This phenomenon has been known for hundreds of years. In the Middle Ages was called the threads of angel hair, and they thought they heralded major events. Later, they have been associated with spaceships from other planets. The truth is however, quite different. Summer Wire or marie thread that it is also known fact that concrete proof that the spiders in the area have had a good propagation period.
To ensure an adequate distribution of the species, many spiders have developed a very specific mode of transport. The young spiders crawling up on top of a high object, such as a fence post. Then they envision with abdomen facing the wind and begins to spin a thread. Soon, the thread has become so long that the wind lifts both it and the spider. In this way, the little spider hovering over long distances in search of a new home, almost as if it had a parachute.
Some spiders eat the thread, when they have landed, second bite of it or pulls it or wear it loose in the landing. There are all these threads that give rise to the phenomenon of summer thread.

Have you seen the colour "ecru" that is listed on the site you linked to (colour code 00)?

dd

[wsbailey]

DD,
I have not seen that color. I have some straw #2. The word écru means raw in French so I would assume that is the color of unbleached silk.

Bill

[Jim Slattery]

For those who may not know Pearsall's #11 Golden Yellow is available as well.

[letumgo]

Jim - Can you get the blue Gossamer? This stuff seems to rare as hen's teeth.