Silk & Ivory Thread: The Complete Guide (13 vs 18 Mesh, Strands and How Many Skeins You Need)
If you've fallen down the needlepoint rabbit hole online, you've heard of Silk & Ivory. It's the thread American stitchers are a bit obsessed with, the one designers kit their canvases with, and until recently the one Australians had to import one skein at a time. I now keep more than 120 colours in stock in Melbourne, so this is the guide I wish I'd had: what it actually is, which canvas it suits, how many skeins you need and how to look after it.
What Silk & Ivory is
Silk & Ivory is made by Brown Paper Packages and spun in Switzerland. It's 50% silk and 50% merino wool, twisted into a single smooth strand. The silk gives it a soft sheen and a little strength; the merino gives it body and warmth, so your stitches sit plump on the canvas instead of looking flat. It comes in 28.8-yard skeins, which is about 26 metres, and each skein is A$11.95 here.
The reason people love it is the finish. Stitched in tent stitch, it looks like velvet with the lights on. It also doesn't fluff or pill the way pure wool can, and the colour range is genuinely one of the loveliest in needlepoint, from quiet neutrals to a Cotton Candy pink that I can never keep in stock.
13 mesh or 18 mesh?
Both. The maker rates it for 13 and 18 mesh, and it's the thread I put in every kit because my canvases are painted on 13 mesh Zweigart mono deluxe.
On 13 mesh
This is Silk & Ivory's natural home. One strand in tent stitch gives full, even coverage with a relaxed tension. If you pull very tight and can see a glint of canvas, ease off rather than adding thread: basketweave stitch also covers a touch more generously than continental, because the stitches lie a little differently on the back.
On 18 mesh
It works, and a lot of people love the fuller, slightly padded look it gives fine canvas. Pull your stitches a little snugger than you would on 13 and it settles in beautifully. If you want a flatter, more delicate 18 mesh finish, that's when you'd look at a thinner thread instead.
Don't try to split it
Silk & Ivory is non-divisible. It's one twisted strand, not six plies you separate like stranded cotton. Cut a length, thread it, stitch. That simplicity is half the reason beginners get on with it so well.
How many skeins do you need?
The rule of thumb I use when kitting: one skein covers roughly 20 square inches of 13 mesh in tent stitch, which is about 130 square centimetres. On 18 mesh a skein goes a good deal further, because each stitch is smaller.
The catch is that you need a skein per colour, not per canvas. A 12 by 8 centimetre passport canvas is under 100 square centimetres of stitching in total, so it uses less than one skein's worth of thread, but if it's painted in six colours you still need six skeins (and you'll have plenty left for the next project). That's why my kits come with the threads already sorted: I've done the sums so you don't have to.
If you're kitting your own canvas:
- Measure each colour area roughly in square centimetres.
- Divide by 130 for 13 mesh (round up).
- Add a little for a dark background colour, which always takes more than you think, and for anything you'll stitch twice because you weren't paying attention. We all do it.
Working with it
- Length. Cut about 45 centimetres, roughly elbow to fingertip. Longer than that and the silk starts to wear where it passes through the eye.
- Needle. A size 20 tapestry needle for 13 mesh, size 22 for 18 mesh. Blunt tip, always.
- Twist. Let the needle dangle every so often to untwist the thread. Untwisted, the strand lies flat and catches the light; over-twisted, it looks ropey.
- Direction. Silk has a nap. If a colour looks patchy, check you've threaded from the same end each time. It's subtle, but the fussy among us notice.
- Starting and ending. A waste knot or a few running stitches under your first row; weave tails under finished stitches to end. No knots on the back if you're ever going to finish it into a cover.
Looking after finished pieces
Silk and merino don't love water. Spot clean with a barely damp cloth if you must, never soak, and keep finished pieces out of direct sun, which will fade silk faster than wool. For the passport covers, a Saffiano leather cover does most of the protecting for you.
Choosing colours
There are more than 120 to choose from, which is wonderful until you're staring at all of them. I keep a full Silk & Ivory colour chart with every shade I stock, and every skein in the threads collection is photographed against the same white so the colours are honest next to each other. If you're matching to one of my hand-painted canvases, the kit versions have the colours already chosen.
Quick answers
Can I buy Silk & Ivory in Australia? Yes, I stock more than 120 colours in Melbourne and ship Australia-wide, in Australian dollars, with no import bill.
How many strands of Silk & Ivory on 13 mesh? One. It isn't divisible, and one strand covers 13 mesh in tent stitch.
Can you use Silk & Ivory on 18 mesh? Yes. Pull a little tighter for a smooth finish; expect a slightly fuller look than a thinner thread would give.
How long is a skein? 28.8 yards, about 26 metres.
Is it good for beginners? It's what I put in every beginner kit. No splitting, no fluff, forgiving to stitch with. If you're brand new, start with the beginner's guide and a kit that has the threads sorted for you.
Happy stitching,
Lauren x