needle turning black
Suzanne Barron
After x-stitching for awhile with the same needle, it has a black smudge
where I grasp it to pull it thru the fabric. I've never had a problem with
jewellery leaving a stain on my skin, although I've heard that's with nickel
and I wear gold. I'm sorta worried that there's some chemical in my body
that maybe shouldn't be there. Anyone know why this is happening?
Thanks!
Suzanne
Aynthem
Suzanne Barron wrote in message ...
It happens to a lot of us, so don't worry. I get about a week
out of a "normal" (read: inexpensive) nickel plated needle and
about two weeks out of a better brand, like Dritz or DMC. In
hot, humid weather, I get even less time. It just means that
your body chemistry and sweat reacts with the needle coating. I
think the nickel oxidizes when it turns black.
There are several possible solutions. Some people use gold or
platinum plated needles, with varying degrees of success. (I'll
get nearly a month out of an Anchor gold needle.) Some people
invest in solid gold or platinum needles. Some people just buy
lots and lots of cheaper needles and go through them quickly.
Some people swear by certain brands of needles -- I've heard
Piecemakers and My Favorite Needle mentioned quite a bit. Some
people treat their needle somehow, but I can't remember the
details; hopefully someone will post on their methods.
My two cents? Whatever method you use, just make sure you stitch
with a needle that's comfy for you to use. A needle is quite a
bargain when you consider all the pleasure it brings us!
Happy stitching,
Melody
QnofCoffee
Melody had a great answer! Including:
>It just means that
>your body chemistry and sweat reacts with the needle coating. I
>think the nickel oxidizes when it turns black.
> Some people use gold or
>platinum plated needles, with varying degrees of success.
> Some people
>invest in solid gold or platinum needles. Some people just buy
>lots and lots of cheaper needles and go through them quickly.
As for me, I have tried both and have found no rhyme or reason to it. I once
bought gold needles at my old LNS. I was so upset when they turned black after
a few weeks! On the other hand, I have used cheapo needles from kits that have
lasted for months and still look the right color. :-)
I have never figured out why some do and some don't. I just use them all and
when one turns black, I toss it. Jen got me hooked on Piecemakers, though. It's
hard to go back after those. They feel so good in your hand and the eye is so
much easier to thread.
My suggestion: use this as a good excuse for some S.E.X.! Buy different kinds
and see what you like. Have fun!
Jodi
Orlando
Mike & June Huber
want to try washing your hands before stitching, and periodically during
a long stitching session. This reduces the needle's exposure to the skin
oils that blacken it (and helps keep your stitching clean). Of course,
if you already do this, you may be one of the unfortunates whose skin
reacts with metal and will simply have to change needles fairly often.
June in Houston
Aynthem wrote:
>
> Suzanne Barron wrote in message ...
> >OK, is it the needle or is it me?
> >After x-stitching for awhile with the same needle, it has a
> black smudge
> >where I grasp it to pull it thru the fabric.
>
> It happens to a lot of us, so don't worry. I get about a week
> out of a "normal" (read: inexpensive) nickel plated needle and
> about two weeks out of a better brand, like Dritz or DMC. In
> hot, humid weather, I get even less time. It just means that
> your body chemistry and sweat reacts with the needle coating. I
> think the nickel oxidizes when it turns black.
>
> There are several possible solutions. Some people use gold or
> platinum plated needles, with varying degrees of success. (I'll
> get nearly a month out of an Anchor gold needle.) Some people
> invest in solid gold or platinum needles. Some people just buy
> lots and lots of cheaper needles and go through them quickly.
Claire Glasby
No it's not just you, but the needles turn black on me too.
I've even tried gold plated ones and the same thing happens.
I have to change my needle virtually weekly.
I hope this helps.
Claire Margaret Glasby
Suzanne Barron <sba...@blast.net> wrote in message
news:mU7i3.358$%w4.1...@iad-read.news.verio.net...
> OK, is it the needle or is it me?
> After x-stitching for awhile with the same needle, it has a black smudge
Richard
<Clai...@tesco.net> wrote:
>Hello Suzanne,
>
>No it's not just you, but the needles turn black on me too.
>Claire Margaret Glasby
>
>
>Suzanne Barron <sba...@blast.net> wrote in message
>news:mU7i3.358$%w4.1...@iad-read.news.verio.net...
>> OK, is it the needle or is it me?
>> Suzanne
When this was discussed here recently, someone found out that
floss-licking was the cause of their tarnished needles. They said that
when they switched to using a sponge when the floss needed taming,
they no longer had a tarnish problem. May or may not be your problem,
but worth checking out if you are a licker. (like me)
Richard :-)
--
ICQ # 1150825
AIM = joxxter
Mays
stitched with finest floss on pure irish linen:
>When this was discussed here recently, someone found out that
>floss-licking was the cause of their tarnished needles. They said that
>when they switched to using a sponge when the floss needed taming,
>they no longer had a tarnish problem. May or may not be your problem,
>but worth checking out if you are a licker. (like me)
I don't lick floss, but my needles do turn black...
-
Ruth Mays
Disorganization is merely the sign of a very healthy
individual trying to do more in a shorter period of time
than those lazy, obsessively tidy types who can think of
nothing better to do than straighten objects in drawers
and stuff like that which only feeds their own egos and makes
them think they are better than those of us who are truly gifted.
Gspring142
>I don't lick floss, but my needles do turn black...
>-
>Ruth Mays
>
ditto
Greta
xstitch
her lotion. When she didn't use any lotion her needle didn't turn black, but
as soon as she put some on it turned black.
Good luck, I'm fortunate to never have experienced this problem.
Holly in Champaign, IL
In article <mU7i3.358$%w4.1...@iad-read.news.verio.net>,
"Suzanne Barron" <sba...@blast.net> wrote:
> OK, is it the needle or is it me?
> After x-stitching for awhile with the same needle, it has a black smudge
> where I grasp it to pull it thru the fabric. I've never had a problem with
> jewellery leaving a stain on my skin, although I've heard that's with nickel
> and I wear gold. I'm sorta worried that there's some chemical in my body
> that maybe shouldn't be there. Anyone know why this is happening?
>
> Thanks!
> Suzanne
>
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
xstitch
Lynn Eremondi
> It happens to a lot of us, so don't worry. I get about a week
> out of a "normal" (read: inexpensive) nickel plated needle and
> about two weeks out of a better brand, like Dritz or DMC. In
> hot, humid weather, I get even less time. It just means that
> your body chemistry and sweat reacts with the needle coating. I
> think the nickel oxidizes when it turns black.
>
> There are several possible solutions. Some people use gold or
> platinum plated needles, with varying degrees of success. (I'll
> get nearly a month out of an Anchor gold needle.) Some people
> invest in solid gold or platinum needles. Some people just buy
> lots and lots of cheaper needles and go through them quickly.
> Some people swear by certain brands of needles -- I've heard
> Piecemakers and My Favorite Needle mentioned quite a bit. Some
> people treat their needle somehow, but I can't remember the
> details; hopefully someone will post on their methods.
>
> My two cents? Whatever method you use, just make sure you stitch
> with a needle that's comfy for you to use. A needle is quite a
> bargain when you consider all the pleasure it brings us!
>
> Happy stitching,
> Melody
I rinse my needles periodically under warm running water and polish them
dry with a soft cloth. Cleans off most of the black and makes them
slide nicely thru linen again. Doesn't stop them turning black, tho',
and I don't know how much finish comes off with this method, but I've
been using the same needle for about 2 years now. Probably should
change it tho', as the baby (teething) got hold of it when I wasn't
looking and kind of squished the eye.
Lynn (Momof5)
Mary Fruth
Happy Stitches with Unblackened Needle,
Mary in Mn
Richard wrote:
>
> On Mon, 12 Jul 1999 22:11:11 +0100, "Claire Glasby"
> <Clai...@tesco.net> wrote:
>
> >Hello Suzanne,
> >
> >No it's not just you, but the needles turn black on me too.
>
> >Claire Margaret Glasby
> >
> >
> >Suzanne Barron <sba...@blast.net> wrote in message
> >news:mU7i3.358$%w4.1...@iad-read.news.verio.net...
> >> OK, is it the needle or is it me?
>
> >> Suzanne
>
> When this was discussed here recently, someone found out that
> floss-licking was the cause of their tarnished needles. They said that
> when they switched to using a sponge when the floss needed taming,
> they no longer had a tarnish problem. May or may not be your problem,
> but worth checking out if you are a licker. (like me)
>
> Richard :-)
> --
> ICQ # 1150825
> AIM = joxxter
--
SpecEdMEH
washing her knitting needles to help the yarn slide better on them!
Mary H.
Boulder City, NV
----If you treat an individual ... as if he were what he ought to be and could
be, he will become what he ought to be and could be. Goethe
Old House Stitchery
your body. I have also heard that drinking soda could raise acid levels.
Perhaps this applies to needles, too.
Sandra
--
http://www.oldhousestitchery.com
Sale on Jobelan fabric, Christmas charts and more!
Use my entry form to enter my free drawing, sign up for my newsletter!
>
>In article <mU7i3.358$%w4.1...@iad-read.news.verio.net>,
> "Suzanne Barron" <sba...@blast.net> wrote:
John and Pat Porter
fabic - can`t get on with them at all. I just received a few packets of
Piece-maker needles ftom America (God bless them!) and I really think
they`re the best I`ve used - slip through like SILK!!!
Pat Porter
wol...@pacbell.net
<378c...@news-out2.newsnerds.com>...
>I have always heard that if jewerly turns black that you have high acid
in
>your body. I have also heard that drinking soda could raise acid
levels.
>Perhaps this applies to needles, too.
>Sandra
Moral: Don't let your needles drink soda! ;-)
(Sorry, Sandra. <bg>)
Nan Evelyn
LISA & TIM
needles??? I just seem to wear them out right at the eye and they bend
and then break...must be something in the way I hold it, I guess!! Now,
is it just me???? ;-)
Lisa in NS, Canada
JoBliss
>needles??? I just seem to wear them out right at the eye and they bend
>and then break...must be something in the way I hold it, I guess!! Now,
>is it just me???? ;-)
>
>Lisa in NS, Canada
nope. I have done that to several needles....and they always seem to break in
the middle of the fiddly parts <grin>. I'm not sure why I just don't replace
them when they start to seem worn. Guess I'm just afraid I'll run out (yes i
DO have a drawer full of them)
Jo
Current WIPS:
Titanic, Endangered Young'uns, afghan safari, irises
LISA & TIM
I know...I see that the needle is starting to 'bend'...but I keep right
on stitching until I break the darn thing!! Guess I'm just on a roll
stitching and don't want to be interupted!!!
Lisa in NS, Canada
(snip) I just seem to wear them out right at the eye and they bend
> >and then break.. (snip)
hgrei...@fastransit.net.uk
I just had to share it with all of you.
Cat Bathing As A Martial Art
A. Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and
lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength.
Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't
try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase
him. Pick a very small bathroom.If your bathroom is more than four
feet square, I recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and
close the sliding glass doors as if you were about to take a shower.
(A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a
three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift
positions.)
B. Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all
the skin from your body. You advantage here is that you are smart
and know how to dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas
overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of
steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask and a
long-sleeved flak jacket.
C. Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as
if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually
notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in
fashion as a rule.)
D. Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival.
In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub
enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and
squirt him with shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45
seconds of your life.
E. Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur,
and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on
to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have
him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of
shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back
into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record
for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)
F. Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume
this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn
out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In
fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been
through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed
to your right leg. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot,
reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will
end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens,
the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him
toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it
is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.
In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your
leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and
will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might
even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster
figurine. You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't
usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get
through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you
decide to give him a bath.
But at least now he smells a lot better.
Anne/NC
E-mail response not expected but
E-mail back delete the ".uk" at the end
Lynne Holder
DH thinks I've fallen off my perch really this time as he can't see the
screen to read what is causing such guffaws of laughter!!!
Brilliant!
hgrei...@fastransit.net.uk wrote in message
<37910b1d...@news.fastransit.net>...