I'm a sucker for close-up "Color Changing Silk" routines. Just love them. I seem to have collected a lot of routines, with equally as many methods. I would love to hear what your favorites are and why.

I do a Th*mbt*p dye tube in my lecture. Also, my flagtastick can be used as a color change as well. The main effect is that red, white and blue change to a flag on a flagstick. But, any 3 silks can change lightning fast into any other silk combo. First release in the 90's, 4 stars in genii.
http://magicians.podbean.com/flagtastick/silk-flagtastick/

Ian's Flagtastick gets 4 stars (out of 4) from me to! I killer and technically easy trick to do. Three silks, red, white, and blue in my case instantly changing to an American flag on a flagstaff! I use it as a ending/ecore. It is brilliant thinking!

Thanks Harry, I've been rehashing other uses for the premise. As color switches etc. I am currently making 4 flags appear (cotter pin method) while in pole holders on the front of the stage.
The other thing I have done is fire to flag. Vanishing a torch to cane with flag. One friend of mine is going to do a double (one in each hand) mounting the canes on the cotter pins in the vest.

I used to like the Patrick Page color-change silk, but recently have rediscovered Thayer's One Handed "Pop-Up Color Change Silk." After working with it some more, it's become my new favorite. It's on my site in the Mini-Mysteries section:

http://www.magicnook.com/MiniMysteries/MM-05PopUpCC.htm

I like changing the color of the silk with one hand while doing something completely different with the other, and not noticing that the silk has changed color in the meantime.

For walk around, I prefer to use a dye tube, and an 18" silk. The handling is effectively Roger Klause's, and has the benefit that it resets and can be done pretty much surrounded... Spellbinder, I'm curious about the One Handed reference. Can this be done with an 18" silk? Also what are the angles and reset like?

As a reminder, the original question was about CLOSE UP color changing silks.

9" to 18", but not much larger or it could get difficult. The reset can be built into a routine that (for example) changes a red silk to blue and back again. Voila! All reset! The angles are pretty much covered from every direction, and if Thayer could demo it in his store, I guess that counts a close-up.

The sizes of silks used in closeup are restricted more by arm-length and available show space than gimmicks. Perhaps 12" and 18" are the best.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander