I was stitching away this afternoon and wondered how everyone else finds their place on the chart.
I use a magnetic board behind my chart which I try to keep in a plastic folder. I don't mark off the stitches completed but keep a magnetic strip under the area I'm working. If I'm working from a magazine or book I photocopy the chart and sometimes enlarge it. (all copies made I keep with the original and are eventually destroyed!)
I use one 'working' needle for the main colour or large areas of the same colour and thread up several for those small areas or 'confetti' stitches to save time. These are kept on a magnetic strip glued onto a card and the numbers or symbols pencilled onto the card.
Personally I don't like marking the chart, but wondered what everyone else thinks.
I have learned over the years that the best way for me to work and know were I am on the chart is to mark it off. I make a copy of the pattern, some times enlarging it, and print it off. I have a large magnetic board that I have hanging on an old hoop frame. I have several long thin magnets that hold the chart to it. I then have it at eye level and I can easily watch it as I stitch. As I am a starter in the center and work out in all directions I need to mark off as I go. If the piece has a face that is the first direction that I go as I like to have the face watching me stitch. I even go so far as to do the back stitching right away so the face is complete. In this picture of my spot in the livingroom you can see the chart board and the magnets.
I mark of with a mechanical pencil so that when I have to frog I can erase. Also the tip stays small and the lines are easy to erase with that type of pencil.
If you are looking for some one to help change you, look in the mirror
Most of the time I work from a copy and mark off in pencil, this keeps the original nice and clean as I use the original for seeing where any backstitch goes, smaller charts I often just work from the original.
As I work from copies, they are A4 so I glue them to card and just have them on the arm of the chair.
As you know I like to grid my fabric and I grid a copy of the pattern as well, using a red crayon. I cross of the 10x10 square with said crayon when it is done, otherwise no marking.
Imagine the 'otter' postion but with knees bent, pattern is clipped to a stiff cardboard and propped up on my lap. Don't like to have to screw my neck around too much, like the pattern dead straight in front of me.
I could really also do with a magnetic ruler thingy.
mags
WIPs:
Heritage Tower Bridge (yes still )
various bits and bobs
I sometimes use post it notes to indicate where I am but I don't think they are as good as they used to be (the way of the world), as they keep curling and dropping off.
mags
WIPs:
Heritage Tower Bridge (yes still )
various bits and bobs
I used to just follow the charts by counting my stitches or spaces to work out where I was. I never marked them in any way.
Since joining here I can now see this is why I never managed to complete anything 'large' previously.
From the good advice on this forum (thanks guys!) I am now marking off with a pencil as I go along and have actually completed my WIPS.
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! Forget love! I'd rather fall in CHOCOLATE!
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Dogs
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Big Cats
Oh Yes!! They stay put really well. I sit with knees up too, with the magnetic board on my knee. I did buy a "Magnetic Board Stand" complete with more magnets to hold the board upright but the shape on my sofa arm is all wrong and I have to crane my neck round to much! It's lurking in a drawer!
If you get a comment of a ,I must be holding my http://coffeecupcakescrossstitch.blogspot.com/
skype:coffeecupcakescrossstitch WIP:
Joan Elliot Spring Fairy
Cupcakes
Snuggle Up 2012 HD's
Bohemia
Fairy Friend
I make a copy too and mark off with a highlighter. I also use post-its, but you are right, Mags, they do curl up and die after a while. So then I have to put a new one on. I've got a magnetic board and magnetic strips, but I hang my chart from a clip and the strips don't seem to be strong enough to stay put. It was a freebie with a magazine!
I make a copy, enlargin if neccesary, then I mark off with a highlighter. I used to use coloured pencils, mathing the colour of the symbol, but then I got lazy, and started using highlighters, in 3 colours, now it's just one colour. Doesn't bother me, I know where I am, although I will make the ocasional mistake (because of my astigmatism and miopia).
I will stitch from a chart if it's small enough, but I rather prefer the copies to mark and make changes as I see fit.
I have sort of just started doing cross stitch. I just mark of in black marker to what i have done so i know where i am. But from what i have seen, it makes sense to make a copy and use that for back stitch and so on. That is something i have just learned today, thank you for these tips.
Oh and hello, i`m paul and i`m new as you can see.
Hi Paul and may I suggest that you use a colored marked that you can see through that way when the frogs come to visit you can see what you need to re-do
Don't like to have to screw my neck around too much, like the pattern dead straight in front of me.
)
)
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! 
,I must be holding my 
