Substituting Vintage Yarn and Thread

Gwyneth Kattman

The thread/ yarn featured here will only be ones I have in my collection, although if I come across a pattern that gives two different options that are the same size I will try to list them here as well.

Especially when it comes to the silks, I will also try to include some more affordable options.

Coats & Clarks O.N.T Darning Cotton

Size: 8 wpcm; 75 yards

J&P COATS CROCHET CORD

size: 13 wpcm; 100 yards

color: 61A

CORTICELLI CROCHET & KNITTING SILK

size: 13 wpcm; 140 yards

I think these are from the 1930’s to the 1950’s

BELDING HEMINWAY CO. CROCHET SILK

size: 13 wpcm; 25 yards

Name	Material	WPCM	Link
Bart & Francis Round Cordonnet	silk	12	X¹
Bart & Francis 20/2 Nm	silk	12	X
Anchor Freccia, no 12	cotton	13	X
DMC Cebelia, no 10	cotton	13	X
DMC Baroque Crochet, no 10	cotton	13	X
DMC Perle, no 5	cotton	12	X
Aunt Lydia’s Classic Crochet, no 10	cotton	13	X

1 – A warning to anyone who can’t read dutch, they basically took the site and ran it through google translate, but from the mid 2000’s. You can kinda understand the listing but any searches are off the table. Their silk is amazing but the website is bad. You can buy this elsewhere.

SILKATEEN

size: 15wpcm; 100 yards

This would be ‘standard’ or size “E”

UNKNOWN

17wpcm; unknown yards

COLUMBIAN KNITTING SILK

I don’t belive that this is Columbia brand knitting silk, there isn’t any other information on the spool but I will still give some substitutions

size: 16wpcm; unknown yards

Name	Material	WPCM	Link
DMC perle, no 8	cotton	16	X
Anchor Lace, no 20	cotton	18	X

WOOLCO CORDONNET SIX CORD CROCHET COTTON, 30

size: 19wpcm; 90 yards

Name	Material	WPCM	Link
Aunt Lydia’s Fine no 20	cotton	20

J&P COATS MENDING SILK

size: 30 wpcm; 30 yards

Name	Material	WPCM	Link
J&P Coats Mercer Crochet, no 80	cotton	30	1
Empress Mills Machine Embroidery, 40s	polyester	31	X

1 – this is discontinued but is readily available on ebay or etsy

This thread isn’t intended for knitting or crochet, its for hand sewing or mending but I figured I’d put it here anyway.

2 responses to “Substituting Vintage Yarn and Thread”

understanding Victorian knitting patterns: yarn sizes – Eonssong Studio

May 9, 2025 at 1:23 pm

[…] Substituting Vintage and Historical Yarn and Thread […]

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Silkateen – Eonssong Studio

June 21, 2025 at 1:01 pm

[…] It measures at 15 wpcm, which is actualy a difficult size to find. It falls right inbetween DMC perle 5 (12wpcm) and 8 (17wpcm). To get the right finish/ texture I think that DMC perle would be the closes match. The size issue is the same with Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread, Classic 10 is 13wpcm and Fine 20 is 20wpcm. When it comes to size, HH Lizbeth cotton no 10 at 14wpcm is going to be the closest that is still made, but Aunt Lydias no 10 (13wpcm) will be the closest, most accessable, substitute for Silkateen in terms of size. DMC coton a broder no 18 is the same size, but that thread has been discontinud for quite a while. Learn more about substituting historial and vintage yarns and thread. […]

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