I also have a ton of the plastic Susan Bates shuttles, as they're the most readily available in my area, and they do fit my hand nicely. They have waaaaaay too many problems for my tastes. There are some of those style from the early part of the 20th century, and those I do enjoy working with. I tend to tat very tightly, and the crispness of those seem to work better for me. But for the most part, anything in between is fine - a lot of my choice depends on the project.
Some projects work better or look nicer with a larger thread, some with a smaller.
Bookmarks, motifs, exchanges, and such are what interest me most. As said before, my name is Colleen, and I'm American - born in 1973. At the moment, I'm a stay-home mom. We're heavily involved in Cub Scouts - my husband is an Eagle Scout and Assistant Cubmaster of Pack 275 . In February 2000 he'll take over as Cubmaster, and Josh will join Tiger Scouts that September.