Can any type of fibre be used?

[Maritime Girl]

Are the fibres that are sold at scrapbook stores treated or can I use any kind of fibre in my scrapbook? The reason I ask is that I saw some fibre that looks exactly like a yarn I used to make a scarf. Only the price was much higher!

 

[nicurn]

I pretty much use whatever fiber strikes my fancy at the moment. There are some good fiber sites out there as well that are very inexpensive.

www.fibersbytheyard.com

www.onthefringe.net

both have excellent customer service as well. maggie

 

[Maritime Girl]

Thank you very much for the links! They have a lot of variety. I guess I should probably use the fibres intended for scrapbooking. I am concerned that regular yarns may not be acid- free.

 

[BrerMama]

Scrapbook fiber is the same as specialty yarn. Those selling it for scrapbooking just buy entire skeins and then cut it up into more usable packages so you can get a greater variety. In addition to the two above, I'd recommend www.brownbagfibers.com This website just reopened and she has some great specials on variety packs.

 

[BlessedMomOfTwo]

When I have talked to the manufacturers who are selling "scrapbooking fibers" about what makes their products scrapbook safe, they just stress that they make sure to use dyes that won't run if they get wet. There isn't really testing done on them for acidity as far as I have been able to gather.

Since I don't plan for my pages to get wet (hopefully), I figured it was okay to use any fibers that I like. I also recommend fibersbytheyard.com, I have gotten great service there.

Carol

 

[HaleyB]

They are the same exact fibers. For instance the EK Adornments line is mostly Trendsetter yarns at over inflated prices. If you knit, you should know how to check for color fastness. If you are very worried about archival issues I don't know what to tell you. The PH should be fine, it is not really acid content that you need to worry about here. But, many of the man made fibers (polyester and such) could be made of the 'bad' plastic that gives off a gas that can damage photos. Also the metalic fibers could be abrasive. However let me restate, the "scrapbook" fibers are not anything special and are not made exclusivly for the industry...

 

[Maritime Girl]

Thanks for your advise. I had been told at a scrapbook store in town that they thought their specialty yarns were coated with some kind of protective spray. It didn't make a whole lot of sense. I knew I would find the answer here!