Reflections on a Reflective Thread

There's a new kid in town. Kreinik recently introduced Reflective Yarn to the knitting community and the buzz is spreading. It is the #2 top seller on www.kreinik.com, where it was used in three Christmas and winter-themed projects in December. The fiber will be featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Creative Knitting magazine (on sale February 2013); also see this link http://www.creativeknittingmagazine.com/printer.php?mode=article&article_id=2882. Designer Karen Ratto-Whooley is debuting a knitted hat pattern at the February 2013 TNNA Long Beach trade show (so look for it in stores shortly after). It has been tweeted, retweeted, blogged, Flickr'd, and Facebooked. Not a bad start for a little novelty yarn. 

What is it?

Kreinik Reflective Yarn is a carry-along fiber with light-reflecting properties. It's part polyester and part glass beads (which gives it a sort of mesmerizing, holographic effect in addition to making it reflective). In knitting, it is meant to be a carry-along fiber. As a matte-gray color, it blends neutrally into other yarns. However, with a camera flash or car light, the project/design becomes luminously lit. Use it for adding reflective stripes or patterns to dog sweaters, purses, hats, scarves, wrist bands, headbands, and other garments. 

Being thread-centric here at Kreinik, we liked the fiber for the special effect properties, and the fact that it complements so many other threads and yarns. Needleworkers have been combining materials to create unique, custom looks for centuries, so this is just a new high-tech fiber for our generation.

Where can you use a Reflective Yarn? 

So far it has worked beautifully in crochet, knitting and cross stitch. Take a look and download these free projects:

• Festive Fir Ornament

• Reflective Tree Ornament

• Knitted Hat and Wristers

This week we are playing with it in needlepoint. Based on early test stitching (stitches recommended by our fans on www.Facebook.com/Kreinik.Manufacturing.Company), we think there are many possibilities.

For example, we used it in the cross-stitch area of Criss-Cross Hungarian (using Silk Serica and Reflective Yarn). It offered a pretty, subtle look. It would be good for night sky backgrounds on needlepoint canvases.

Then we combined it with one strand of black Silk Mori for French Knots. It looked pretty good. Using it alone in French Knots, there was a bit of fraying along the strand. Stick with using it as a carry-along and you shouldn't have a problem with abrasion from so many twists and turns of a French Knot section. It is not as strong as our Braids, so use it in stitches that don't require a lot of tension.

Algerian eyelets and Smyrna crosses? Very cool! Use it as a carry-along fiber with Kreinik Very Fine #4 Braid on 18-mesh canvas, or with any of the larger Kreinik Braids on the bigger needlepoint canvases. It works beautifully in combination stitches - try the filament Silk Serica on the bottom with Reflective Yarn as top stitches. The luminosity of the Reflective Yarn goes perfectly with the natural luminescence of filament silk. See our swatch for our doodles.

The Kreinik Reflective Yarn is about the size of our Very Fine #4 Braid, so use that as a guide in determining your coverage needs. Be careful carrying the thread in the back of your work - the backside of your stitches may illuminate through the open canvas.

A 25-yard spool will go a long way, so it's perfect for wearable needlepoint projects and accessories. See the list of suggestions below to get started. Use it in designs that are going to see light reflection, like dog collars worn at night, and shoes.

Ideas for using Reflective Yarn in needlepoint:

• dog collars

• belts

• shoes

• handbags

• purse-style wallets

• ornaments

• jewelry

In needlepoint, specialty threads are all about adding color and "special effects" to make designs exciting and life-like. For example:  glow-in-the-dark, holographic, fuzzy, metallic threads all add dimensional dynamics to designs. In the same way, this Reflective Yarn is perfect for creating realism and, well, a "special effect" in particular motifs. Here are some ideas for using it in particular design themes.

Use Reflective Yarn in designs of:

• cat's whiskers

• eyeglasses

• drinking glass

• street lamps

• car, train, bus etc headlights

• joggers

• bicycles

• football players (helmets)

• windows

• celestial themes

We will keep stitching and playing, and hope you will enjoy this fun new novelty yarn in your own creations too. Email us or share photos on our Twitter or Facebook pages.