I'm about 10 hours into a cross stitch project which frankly is starting to look like a pretty long walk for a silly joke. But I'm committed to it, so I just put my head down and keep plodding onwards. Truthfully though, counted cross stitch is surprisingly relaxing. I queue up an audiobook and then focus on counting and stitching, counting and stitching. The time goes by quickly.
I learned cross stitching basics a few weeks ago when I sat down with a friend who has about 20 years of cross stitch experience under her belt. She passed along some very helpful hints, which I will pass along to you.
1. Start by knotting the end of your thread. Then the first time you pass the needle through the fabric, thread it back through the end, thus securing it in a simple knot. If you want to avoid knotting your thread (which is frowned upon by experienced cross stitchers, not like I care) try the loop start method.
2. Use a pencil to shade out the squares on the pattern that you have already done. I am finding that this is pretty critical. I would be totally lost otherwise.
3. Ideally, start from the middle of the pattern and work your way out to the edges. This ensures that your pattern is centered. Imagine if you were too far to the side, but you only discovered it when you had stitched everything up to the edges.
4. The only real rule is, always cross your Xs in the same direction. It doesn't matter which half of the X you do first, only that they all be consistent. It really does make a difference in the finished work.
Unlike a lot of your major crafts, cross stitching turns out to be incredibly easy. Many people learn cross stitch as children. It requires little more than a few basic supplies, plus a lot of patience and time.
Image courtesy Flickr/Queenie & The Dew
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