Cross-stitch rediscovered

[nanila]

I got bored with the 365 question meme after the end of February and have no plans to restart it. I can, however, thank it for one thing: reigniting my interest in cross-stitch. I was taught to cross-stitch by an eccentric great-aunt when I was around eight years old, on the plastic frames with thick yarn. As I grew older, I graduated to the Aida cloth patterns, and eventually to linen before I lost interest in my teens.

The offhand answer to one of the meme questions prompted an Etsy search and I purchased a couple of beginner-level kits from KnitKnotKrafts (UK). Behold, my first cross-stitch in over twenty years:

  Map of Africa


The back is a hot mess because I had forgotten that you don't tie knots in the thread, you just leave a tail and stitch over it:



I just completed a second, which is a gift for my Cthulhu-loving sister-out-law.

Octopus (sans eyes)


Much tidier back:



I feel this is an excellent step to be taking toward my bonkers blue-rinse little-old-lady aspirations.

I'm spending my Easter break on a more difficult pattern with flowers and hummingbirds. Once I've finished that, I'll get some more from Fandom Cross Stitchery. No prizes for guessing which is my favourite.

Comments

[annofowlshire]

Love it!

[cmcmck]

Haven't done any cross stitch myself for a while.

I'm left handed and can recognise the work of other left handers (in embroidery too).

[angrboda]

In my opinion how you start or finish your threads in nobody's business but yours. I don't hold with making the back look super-duper tidy at all costs. So long as no carried thread is visible from the front, I do what is easier. I don't intend to show off the back of my work, so who cares how it looks?
I can however recommend the loop start if you're stitching with an even number of threads. It's a super easy way to start a thread because you don't have to make sure you're stitching over the end, and there's no wasted thread.

[kotturinn]

Those are great. I got a part-finished cross stitch out a while back - and discovered I now need higher magnification glasses to do it (it's on a very fine base :-( ). Ho Hum - this getting older malarkey...

[corvidology]

I particularly love the octopus one but then I love them anyway. :D

[meepettemu]

These are great :)

If you’re not a fan of Aida you can get linen for cross stitch. I am much happier with my blackwork since moving over and it’s almost as easy to use!

[slemslempike]

That map of Africa is gorgeous! I finished up a feminist crossstitch earlier this year which, when it becomes possible, I will send to my friend/colleague from my last job. I enjoyed it and should get back to doing it especially now nights are longer and I don't have to rely on my bad lights and disinclination to get new ones.

[white_hart]

Those are very pretty!

[azurelunatic]

Lovely!

[(Anonymous)]

Pretty! I thought I had not previously encountered Fandom Cross Stitchery but it turns out they must be the place that my sister-in-law got the kit to make a 'Behold the field where I grow my fucks' kit that she did last year.

[ankaret]

Ooops, sorry, that was me commenting anonymously just now to say that my sister-in-law did one of Fandom Cross Stitchery's kits and I greatly admired it.

[silveradept]

I have relatives who cross stitch, so the style is familiar, but I don't know anything more about it than that. These look good.

[firecat]

I love these. And the back of the octopus one looks like it has a moustache, which delights me.