And another dear (and very smart) reader that does painted canvas asked me what "over one/over two" means. Let's see if I can screw this up enough that y'all will have to jump in to help...
OK, Ms. Casey...the little cross stitches on the left are "over one". The cross stitches on the right are "over two". (I did these on canvas because a) I didn't have to get off of my big fat heiney to go fish out a piece of linen, and b) you work on painted canvas so I figured it would be familiar to you).(At least that's what I'm going with at this moment in time.)
I guess the easiest way to explain it is that "over one" means over one thread. And "over two" means over two threads.
If you're working on a 40ct. linen the "ground/field of design" can be pretty small, so doing the stitches over two makes for a little more visible stitching. (Even though I think people who work on 40ct. linen are amazing and should have some kind of gold hats on their heads or something.)
Sometimes charts will call for a portion of "over one" stitching, and I can tell you that I almost always leave it for last and always always bitch about it. (My experience is that you simply cannot have diet Coke on board while attempting over one stitching, and if you futz it up and have to frog it can be akin to a religious experience.)
(At least mine is, since I mutter a lot of gdmnit's and Jesus, Mary, and Joseph's while trying not to ruin the piece of linen that it took me a year and a half to find.) (Yes, I swear like the filthy sewer mouth I am. Don't tell anybody please.)
Now as for the whole "counting threads" or "counting holes" thing....well, my Stitchy Teacher never really made it an issue, so I never really got confused. I suppose that if I were charting things or actually paying attention to life rather than just letting it pass me by, I would know how to explain the difference, but the truth is...a chart is a chart is a chart. I think threads are threads and holes are holes and you should do whatever blows your skirt up.
That last statement makes me feel like the Pinky Tuscadero of the stitching world. You know the type...pink leather jacket, ciggie butt, big hair, and a propensity for breaking rules. I'm the one standing in the ladies' room talking about doing all of the stuff that we're not supposed to do...all the while making the authorities cringe in fear that the other girls will think I'm cool and will thrown down their cardigans and penny loafers in protest.
(I can hear it now...the next meeting of All That Is Truly Official In Stitchydom will call me before the Tribunal Of All Things Truly Official and ask me to account for my ridiculous attempt to explain something. And then they will point out everything that is wrong with what I just said and then they'll take away my secret decoder ring.) Damn.
So I hope that helps you in some small way and that you will give cross stitch a try. Kinda like "give peas a chance", which cracks me up every single time I see it. (It takes so very little to amuse me.)
We're off to the weekend! Woo Hoo!
I'm smoking cigarettes in the girls' room right there with you, miss.
ReplyDeleteI'm untying the sleeves of my cardigan that are tied around my neck as we speak...and I have taken the penny out of my loafer and thrown it into the wind. :)
ReplyDeleteGracious, how that brought me back to my wild and not so crazy youth. It also put a huge smile on my face. Thank you for the big walk down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteI am working on a little bunny rabbit for my new grandson (he will arrive in just a few weeks - God that sounds like he is flying in from somewhere!). It will be really cute when - if - I ever finish the damn thing. The entire bunny, his basket, and the alphabet are all in over one!! Thank goodness he will only be about 8 inches tall. If I live to tell about it, or the bunny doesn't get thrown against the wall, whichever comes first. I am working on 32 ct. fabric (it calls for 28ct but I only had 32 ct). Ripping out errors is not an option on this one. It just doesn't work. I can't see it well enough to rip it ot. I can't understand why people want to work over one on 40 ct. This over one busines is for the birds!
ReplyDeleteGeez, I got so flustered writing about "over one" that I stopped spelling words completely towards the end there! Part of it is my keyboard sticks. But I guess I'd rather by charts that call for "over one" than get a new keyboard.
ReplyDeleteDearest Pinky:
ReplyDeleteCan I come sit next to you?
Hugs from Chilly Hollow,
Jane (who misbehaves by drinking champagne while stitching)
Leather Jacket, ciggie butt and big hair - who could ask for anything more!! Brava!!
ReplyDeletebwahahah... over one stitching a religious experiance. I am still laughing on that one. It is too true.
ReplyDeleteI think I break almost all the stitching rules, so can I hang out with you? *grin*
You are too funny! I am doing Sarah Woodham on 40ct, and I just KNOW I will have at least one come-to-Jesus moment while stitching that huge over-one verse. Holy crap.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, with all of it. Over 1 is my least favorite thing to do but I've found that stitching over 2 on 28 is just too big for me these days. I've had to move to 32 and 36. Hard on a girl's stash budget!
ReplyDeleteI refer to that "Tribunal" as The Stitching Police. Been blowing my smoke at them for years. If you're not breaking the rules, you're taking it way too seriously and not having fun! XO
ReplyDeleteMy stitching friend Jane and I have two "rules".
ReplyDelete1. It's a mistake if you only do it once. If you do it twice it's a pattern.
2. The thread goes through the eye of the needle. After that it's pretty much just opinion.
Makes our lives easier.
OMGosh!! You had me remembering the "bad" girls that used to hang out in the bathroom during the junior high/high school years. We who weren't bad just stayed away as far as we could.
ReplyDeleteTried smoking once a looooong time ago when I was still in college - only one cigarette...never did get the urge to smoke again...just wasn't me. Much prefer candy cigarettes! :) MMMM love those!
Haven't stitched over one yet... :D Have stitched with metallic threads, overdyed threads, and have had my fair share of curses too when stitching...especially when the dang thread gets knotted en route going through the hole. GRRRRRRRRRR.
Despite the fact, that I am probably dull/boring as all hell with my stitching prowness, and lack of bad girl attitude, could I still sit with you girls? About the only thing I could offer in the way of corrupting anyone is to convince folks to have that Chocolate Buzz Martini. (Anyone here ever been to Hershey CATS?) OR any martini for that matter...heck, Chambord too!
Hugs to you and Stewey!
Jennifer
Can I be in your gang too? I love cross stitch because I feel I can do whatever I want and as long as I think it looks nice, it is 'right'. I doubt there are many who would complain about it. Mind you there was one lady who saw me stitching in hand and spent the better part of an hour trying to convince me I wasn't stitching right if I didn't use a hoop. Last time I ever stitched at play rehearsal.
ReplyDelete