<p>One thicker variety of embroidery thread is called perle cotton. That might be what's in the video, though I can't quite tell. It is sized by numbers, where a smaller number indicates a thicker thread. You might be interested in a size 3 or 5 perle cotton.</p>

<p>If what you got originally was 6-ply embroidery <strong>floss</strong>, you wouldn't see sizes listed because it only comes in one size. That material can also be separated so you can use fewer strands, which is not true of perle cotton; that seems to me to help perle cotton threads stay round when you stitch with them, instead of flattening out.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-25T19:28:26.973Z
would yarn also work? Such as sock yarn, or linen yarn? Floss looks really expensive. It's good for friendship bracelets but I am looking to do embroidery for 42 inch by 96 inch stole.
Marium
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-26T12:53:32.910Z
@Marium floss is dirt cheap, considerably less than thread. It's designed for exactly what you want to do; "friendship bracelets" are just a repurposing of it.
Allison C
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-26T16:49:33.787Z
@Marium My one concern about yarn would be smoothness - as you stitch, the thread/yarn will rub against the fabric over and over again, and yarn is more likely to get fuzzy because of the rubbing. Cotton crochet thread (sold for crochet, but called thread instead of yarn because it is thin) might be a less expensive option for a large amount of embroidery using a small number of colors, but if you need many colors (and so smaller amounts of each) I don't know whether you would save money that way.
Reve
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-26T17:00:52.507Z
You have a good point @Reve. I was testing scraps of  bamboo silk yarn and it does get fuzzy.  I just purchased a single cotton cone to start --- looks promising, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BF7QFA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Marium
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-25T18:56:38.130Z
2019-09-25T18:56:38.130Z
Reve
<p>I purchased whole set of embroidery thread and it is too thin (how I will return it is a different matter)</p>

<p>What should I look for when searching thick thread? </p>

<p>Amazon doesn't show any sort of weight or metric.</p>

<p>For example, I wish to purchase the type of thick thread shown below.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GYbu2.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GYbu2.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-25T19:16:26.863Z
Did you buy embroidery THREAD (for machine embroidery) or embroidery FLOSS (for hand embroidery)?
Allison C
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-25T19:17:35.267Z
@AllisonC I bought THREAD :-(
Marium
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-25T19:18:34.783Z
Then if you're hand-embroidering, buy supplies designed for hand embroidery, not machine thread.
Allison C
<sewing><thread>
What to look for when purchasing Thick Thread
Marium
# What to look for when purchasing Thick Thread

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-25)

I purchased whole set of embroidery thread and it is too thin (how I will return it is a different matter)

What should I look for when searching thick thread?

Amazon doesn't show any sort of weight or metric.

For example, I wish to purchase the type of thick thread shown below.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GYbu2.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/GYbu2.jpg)

**Tags:** sewing, thread

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Did you buy embroidery THREAD (for machine embroidery) or embroidery FLOSS (for hand embroidery)?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I bought THREAD :-(  
> **username_1**: Then if you're hand-embroidering, buy supplies designed for hand embroidery, not machine thread.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-09-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

One thicker variety of embroidery thread is called perle cotton. That might be what's in the video, though I can't quite tell. It is sized by numbers, where a smaller number indicates a thicker thread. You might be interested in a size 3 or 5 perle cotton.

If what you got originally was 6-ply embroidery **floss**, you wouldn't see sizes listed because it only comes in one size. That material can also be separated so you can use fewer strands, which is not true of perle cotton; that seems to me to help perle cotton threads stay round when you stitch with them, instead of flattening out.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: would yarn also work? Such as sock yarn, or linen yarn? Floss looks really expensive. It's good for friendship bracelets but I am looking to do embroidery for 42 inch by 96 inch stole.  
> **username_1**: @username_0 floss is dirt cheap, considerably less than thread. It's designed for exactly what you want to do; "friendship bracelets" are just a repurposing of it.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 My one concern about yarn would be smoothness - as you stitch, the thread/yarn will rub against the fabric over and over again, and yarn is more likely to get fuzzy because of the rubbing. Cotton crochet thread (sold for crochet, but called thread instead of yarn because it is thin) might be a less expensive option for a large amount of embroidery using a small number of colors, but if you need many colors (and so smaller amounts of each) I don't know whether you would save money that way.  
> **username_0**: You have a good point @username_2. I was testing scraps of  bamboo silk yarn and it does get fuzzy.  I just purchased a single cotton cone to start --- looks promising, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BF7QFA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  

---

