I decided to try my hand a the "olive branch" and "saw blade" techniques, and I usually do not use anything but size A thread. I watched several YouTube videos demonstrating the techniques, and went to work. As far as I'm concerned, the result was terrific....but microscopic! :-(

Every video I watched resulted in patterns that were clear and bold. Were they using crazy large diameter thread for the sake of the videos? Or on the other hand, did I perhaps do something wrong?

In many cases using a contrasting NoCP thread color gives very good results. The NoCP threads generally tend to be thicker than the regular nylon thread of the same size, and are much more opaque so they stand out better. If you want it to standout more you can certainly go with a larger thread size. Experiment and see what you like best.
Norm

The size of the thread does make a difference in the visibility as well as the ease of wrapping, the larger the better.