Handling Silk Floss
See Finishing Techniques for Beaded Flower Stems for more information.
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There are two kinds of hand cream that are good for working
with silk. Haven't had a chance to try them out yet. Udderly Smooth
is one and is available at many drugstores.
Another is called Needle Arts Friend which can be found at some
needlework/embroidery shops. You need to use a nongreasy hand cream
(which both of these are). Regular hand creams are too
greasy and may soil the silk. Other tips for handling silk floss
are mentioned in the article quoted below.
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From Handling Silk Floss
by Steven B. Schweitzer (used with permission)
True silk floss will pick up and show the slightest of skin oils
and dirt. Both of which mar the gorgeous sheen and rich colors that
natural silk floss embodies. The cure: thoroughly wash your hands with
an alcohol-based cleanser like the anti-bacterial soaps now on the market.
Rinse your hands thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel. Avoid
picking up too much towel lint.
If your hands are rough and dry, a piece of 300-400 grit emory paper
can be used to "sand" away the dry parts of your finger tips. This
will help alleviate the possibility of having a small dry patch of
skin catch the silk floss; if you use your bare hands. Don’t ever
use hand cream to sooth your dry hands if you are about to tie with silk!
Finally, as a precautionary measure, I always use a silk glove on the hand
that touches the silk as I wrap. Silk on silk is the best route for protecting
the fragile nature of natural silk floss.
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©2007 Caren Cohen.
caren@fuse.net
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