Cross Stitch

1966

Hi there - amm dying to try Cross-stitch but wondering if classes are necessary or can you pick up reasonable knowledge from kits that are available ??

Ponder013

Cross stitch is easy, you don't need a class.

'Counted cross stitch' is the most popular. You can buy kits on ebay quite easily and cheaply. Most of them have instruction on them.

You can also buy cross stitch magazines in most larger news agents and they usually have a beginners section and a free kit attached.

To start with, get a kit that doesn't have too many colours or a complicated design.

The material you use is called AIDE, and is graded according to how many holes there are per square inch of fabric.

To start with, try getting a kit with 14 count aide (the holes are easy to see and the stitches bigger (and easier to pick out if you make a mistake)

As you get better at it, you can move on to 16 or 18 count aide and more complex designs. You can also buy an embroidery hoop, which keeps the fabric taut while you work on it. (also on ebay)

Give it a go - it's great for stress relief