Do you cross as you go?

[BizzieLizzie]

I was just wondering how many of you complete each full cross as you go and how many of you do a row of / and then come back doing the \ (or vice versa!). I mostly do the latter but sometimes do full crosses as I go depending on where the next stitch in that colour is. Does it make any difference?

[karen4bells]

I do pretty much the same. The only time I cross as I am stitching with variegated thread

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

If there is a block of colour I will do / then \ - but if its dotted around then I will cross as I go just incase I forget one! I always cross as I go when using overdyed and variegated floss. The only difference it makes to your stitching is the back!

[MaggieM1750]

I usually stitch lines of ///// then come back \\\\\ to cross. If its a large block of color, I think doing one line at a time can make it look stripey. So I will do all the under stitches, line after line after line horizontally. Then when all the under stitches are done, I cross them line after line after line moving vertically. If its single stitches, I do the full stitch then move on to the next.
Like Karen, varegated threads are different- those I do cross as I go which kind of screws me up. I have to remember to not plan a stitch route like I normally do.
All my top stitches run in the same direction- which means I usually have a few diagonals on the back instead of --- or |||. But better the back be a mess than the front.
The thread will catch the light differently if the top threads run in different directions. And its the first thing they look for if you ever enter a competition- which I am doing for the first time.

[stitchingmae]

I cross as I go I'm a minority here
lol

[rcperryls]

Depends on where the stitches are but I am pretty much a /// across a row and then back with \\\\. With my HAED LOTR I am stitching 10 x 10 squares and going down a column. This is a first for me. With my HAED QS Cats, I am stitching more my normal way. But it is 18 ct vs 25 ct so its all round easier so far.

Carole

[Pinguxxx]

When I first started I tended to \\\\\ then ///// but now I try and do the full cross as I'm going along. Mainly because I couldn't stand missing a stitch in a colour so ended up trailing threads and then again on the return. I also find that if I have to then I only have to undo to where the mistake is! But like the others if it's a long line or block I would prob ///\\\.

[mechie]

I usually do \\\\ and then come back with /// unless I'm using variegated thread. The biggest exception to this is on my HAED. I found that the stitches were so small that I couldn't tell if I'd done the full cross or not (got distracted by little ones and lost my place) especially with the black so I decided to do full cross as I went on the whole thing.

mechie

[Busy_B]

It depends on the project. With my personal projects, I usually do the bottoms and then come back with the top stitch on larger areas. With the models that I do, I do one complete stitch at a time. I do this for a few reasons. 1) there's usually a good deal of confetti, 2) they use quite a bit of blending filament so it's easier 3) just to give me more to anchor the threads to due to confetti. The model I'm currently working on has been the only exception because a good deal of one skirt is white, so I've been able to do rows of 20 stitches doing bottom stitch and then going back.

[Mermut]

I tend to do a line of // then follow back with the \\ It's easier for me to keep track and I find that the stitches tend to be more even and uniform for large blocks when I stitch a row at a time rather then a stitch at a time.
This caused a problem the first time (years ago) I tried variegated floss, but I figured out that fix pretty quick and do those an X at a time now.

[freelady]

I guess I'm one of the odd ones out....I mostly do full crosses because I find it hard to see where I am when I do a row of //////. It's awful to get back to the end of the \\\\ and find I missed one in the middle. It also makes frogging a lot easier

[curly sue]

I was taught to go ///\\\ , I often do whatever seems easiest at the time. I do find that for me, making complete xxxx's seems to use more thread. I also use more thread because I tend to go under more stitches to anchor, although I'm planning to quit that.

[katydid]

I don't think it makes any difference which method you do as long as you always cross every stitch bottom left to top right and bottom right over to top left. I do it the same as you. After you press your piece every stitch will look nicely even and beautiful.

[LadyS]

I use the sewing method most of the time so I do rows instead of one by one. I will complete stitches one by one if I'm working on a confetti area though.

[debupnorth]

Anything stitched with 16 ct (32 over 2) or larger, I can stitch the ////'s then go back with the \\\\'s (except for confetti or lone stitches).

I used to be able to stitch on 18 ct (36 over 2) this way also, but in the past couple years it has gotten increasingly hard for me to tell if the stitch is crossed or not when I go back. Since these days I'm usually stitching on 36 over 2 evenweave, 18 ct Aida, or 22 ct Hardanger, it's been much easier to just cross as I go and be done with it. It does use more thread. And of course, when using the varigated threads, I cross as I go.

Like several others have mentioned, you do have to rethink your stitching path depending on which method is used.

Deb

[Juel]

I always decide how to stitch while I am working =) It depends on where the stitches are, if they are confetti or not and on my mood =D

[Serinde]

I almost always cross as I go. Although it uses marginally more floss, it means I'm less likely to (1) lose track of where I am on a chart and (2) get stranded out at the wrong end of a row of stitches. However, as we all know, foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of tiny minds. As a consequence, I'm quite happy to stitch one way and then back, or up and then down again, or even is a sort of 'greek key' pattern if it gets the job done.

[Rose]

I most often cross as I go but when the need arises I will do a ////// out and then\\\\\ back. It just depends on where I need my thread to be so that I don't have to waste alot on unworked areas.

[Ketta]

Funny you should ask....

I learned when I was about 8 years old, from my grandmother. She gave me a kit and taught me the traditional way, of doing first a row of / and then coming back to do the \ part of the X.

Well, being a bit of a know-it-all, that did NOT make any sense to me. I thought, 'Why doing half of the X? Just do the whole damn thing and get it over with!' Upon deciding that, I also decided I liked how the X looked if I did the \ first and the / second. To me, it was faster to do the whole thing, and I didn't have to come back to finish it later. Child logic!

I didn't realize how stringent cross stitching 'rules' were until I tried to enter something in a county fair; I never ended up entering because of the funny looks I got when judges looked at the back (very much NOT 'right'), although you can't tell the front of mine from almost anyone else's who stitches traditionally (except my X's aren't like most since they cross differently).

These days, thankfully, most places (in the US, anyhow) don't judge the backside.

[BizzieLizzie]

Great story, Ketta! Thanks for sharing!!