Do you prefer traditional, running or both?

[lizrincon]

De-lurking to say: My mom taught me how to xstitch, and nuns taught her, and they were stringent in enforcing neat backs., I'll use running stitch everywhere, and traditional when there is no other alternative.
It helps that I've stitched simpler designs, with large-ish swatches of the same color.

What do the backs of your traditional stitches look like?

[mauveme]

I prefer running , uses less thread that way. If using overdyed then one at a time is the only way to get the varigated effect.
Ihave done a couple of charts where one at a time is the only way to go because the stitching was all over the place, if you know what I mean.

[StitchinWitch]

I never knew there was an actual name for them until I read this post. I do both.

Usually, if I have large blocks of colors, I'll do the running, and if there's a lot of confetti or if I'm using a variegated thread I do full crosses.

[Mumto4cats]

I only do full cross stitches as I find my tension can vary from session to session.

I also do a variation on parking, in that I will bring the thread to the front, and trail it over my worked stitches, and anchor it away from the current work until I reach the point where I need it. Then I will re thread my needle and weave it through my stitches from behind (if that makes sense). I don't seem to be able to stitch over trailing threads without splitting them.

So long as you are happy with your work, do what feels natural.