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I'm with Allyn that working on a piece with lots of similar shades NEEDS parking for me to keep my sanity. On patterns with very different colors, I can cross country easily, but as soon as there are similar shades in confetti stitching involved, I start parking.

Did you look up youtube videos? This is one of the better ones I think.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdp4-traCo4" target="_blank

She shows you how the parked threads are marked on her chart.. and how after stitching a color, she highlights the completed stitches in green, and then marks the parked thread in yellow again. This way your yellow highlight is a double check for when you continue again. You double or even tripple check when parking a thread, and then when you pick it up again you just look at that spot on the chart and you know what symbol the thread is for.

Somewhat OT.. do NOT turn on close captioning on that video unless you're not easily offended by all sorts of... naughty words. The auto close captioning had a field day with her accent and translated it into alllll sorts of weird things.

NeedleAndFork wrote:I'm with Allyn that working on a piece with lots of similar shades NEEDS parking for me to keep my sanity. On patterns with very different colors, I can cross country easily, but as soon as there are similar shades in confetti stitching involved, I start parking.

Did you look up youtube videos? This is one of the better ones I think.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdp4-traCo4" target="_blank" target="_blank

She shows you how the parked threads are marked on her chart.. and how after stitching a color, she highlights the completed stitches in green, and then marks the parked thread in yellow again. This way your yellow highlight is a double check for when you continue again. You double or even tripple check when parking a thread, and then when you pick it up again you just look at that spot on the chart and you know what symbol the thread is for.

Somewhat OT.. do NOT turn on close captioning on that video unless you're not easily offended by all sorts of... naughty words. The auto close captioning had a field day with her accent and translated it into alllll sorts of weird things.

Haha! This was the lady that eventually led me to this forum a couple of months ago She was the first cross stitch specific video that I watched I loved listening to her, she makes it look easy, but my brain and fingers are too used to cross country style ...

Brekkana wrote:

NeedleAndFork wrote:I'm with Allyn that working on a piece with lots of similar shades NEEDS parking for me to keep my sanity. On patterns with very different colors, I can cross country easily, but as soon as there are similar shades in confetti stitching involved, I start parking.

Did you look up youtube videos? This is one of the better ones I think.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdp4-traCo4" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

She shows you how the parked threads are marked on her chart.. and how after stitching a color, she highlights the completed stitches in green, and then marks the parked thread in yellow again. This way your yellow highlight is a double check for when you continue again. You double or even tripple check when parking a thread, and then when you pick it up again you just look at that spot on the chart and you know what symbol the thread is for.

Somewhat OT.. do NOT turn on close captioning on that video unless you're not easily offended by all sorts of... naughty words. The auto close captioning had a field day with her accent and translated it into alllll sorts of weird things.

Haha! This was the lady that eventually led me to this forum a couple of months ago She was the first cross stitch specific video that I watched I loved listening to her, she makes it look easy, but my brain and fingers are too used to cross country style ...

It is okay that you are not comfortable with parking. I have been stitching for over 30 years now and I can not stand to have all of those threads hanging on my work. They drive me crazy so if you are happy with your style then that is great. If parking works for you then that is good as well. We all have to do what is best for ourselves and what makes our stitching enjoyable to US.

NeedleAndFork wrote:Somewhat OT.. do NOT turn on close captioning on that video unless you're not easily offended by all sorts of... naughty words. The auto close captioning had a field day with her accent and translated it into alllll sorts of weird things.

I'm totally doing that when I go home!

On my current project, with its heavy dithering, small size of stitch, large number of colours (118) & gradual shading, I found the cross country method was the only way I could cope. Having 35 colours in the first 350 stitches drove me utterly demented, not that many people would be able to notice given my normal state. If the stitches are small enough, and the shading close enough, it doesn't usually matter if a few stitches are out of place by a stitch or 2, so long as you try to jiggle the other colours around a bit to compensate.

I tend to start with a corner of the plan page, and stitch up the biggest block of colour in that area, then fill in the smaller colours, before moving on to the next biggest adjacent band of colours etc. This means that a number of stitches are sewn in 'holes'. I think with this project using 28 count 2 over 1 tent stitches helps, as it means there are a maximum of 4 threads in a hole and it's easier not to spit the threads. The other way I work to reduce errors is, when doing the bigger bands of colours, is to stitch up a row at a time of the colour and mark the chart with the current stitch position any time I have to put the work down. I do occasionally get lost, and sometimes put in a 'memorable' colour before it would otherwise be needed to act as reference points. The current project has a number of single stitch bright greens or reds scattered through the skin tones that act as very good reference points to make sure that things don't get out of position.

The picture in the state it was in 5 days ago is:

In the lower middle of the page I'm stitching up there are two adjacent diagonals, 4 stitches long from lower left to upper right where DMC 732 and DMC 611 are swapped over. Can't see it? There, 3 stitches up from the bottom, just to the right of half way across. No, not the dark line, that's an area waiting for DMC 3772. Still can't see it? Well, that's what I mean about it not mattering too much with dithering & gradual shading if adequate corrective action is taken, even if you don't frog.

Regards,

Richard.

NeedleAndFork wrote:... This is one of the better ones I think.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdp4-traCo4" target="_blank" target="_blank

...Somewhat OT.. do NOT turn on close captioning on that video unless you're not easily offended by all sorts of... naughty words. The auto close captioning had a field day with her accent and translated it into alllll sorts of weird things.

That transcription was absolutely hysterical. I played it without the volume on and have not the faintest idea what she was talking about, but the captions were very, very funny from the random collection of utterly unrelated words put on screen.

Regards,

Richard

I am another who tried but didn't like parking at all. I'm sure its faster for those who manage it, but I can't deal with the hanging threads. Maybe because I don't use my stand very much (awkward with two cats in my lap). As long as I grid, I don't have any trouble with counting. If I do have to do any , it's usually because I used the wrong color thread, not miscounted. Does happen some times, but not nearly as much as it did before I discovered gridding (for which I will be forever grateful to the forum)
and to quote

richardandtracy wrote:

NeedleAndFork wrote:... This is one of the better ones I think.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdp4-traCo4" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

...Somewhat OT.. do NOT turn on close captioning on that video unless you're not easily offended by all sorts of... naughty words. The auto close captioning had a field day with her accent and translated it into alllll sorts of weird things.

That transcription was absolutely hysterical. I played it without the volume on and have not the faintest idea what she was talking about, but the captions were very, very funny from the random collection of utterly unrelated words put on screen.

Regards,

Richard

I did the same thing. I didn't have a clue what the video was about by reading the captions.

Carole

I am new to stitching and finishing a project my mom had started years ago. I have been finding myself lost with where she left off as I am not as familiar with the colors to the symbols since I didn't start the project. I have been searching the past couple of days for ways to make it easier...

1) always highlight on the chart what I have done
2) stitch in 10x10 block like others have said
3) use multiple needles for the frequently used colors in that area and keep them on a separate piece of cloth with the chart symbol noted

I didn't learn about 2 or 3 until the past couple of days. Can't say how well they work since I am almost finished with the project so no bother to try using them. I love the projects with so much color variations, so I will be sure to use those tips soon since they seem to make sense

Erin

I was taught to, make a "working copy" of pattern, "always" sew in the "circle" method, like a "coil" or "star burst", use 3 different sizes of hoops, 7 " or 8", then 10", then "finishing with 11", use 3 magnets on magnet board, placing 2 of the 3 ||, the the 3rd, - on top of the ||, like a H, then move the - as needed, then move the 3 around the pattern, as needed, and "stagger" my threads as, "lowest" to highest" nos. (^, down, ^, down, ^, down).
Then sew as:
1."Center", out to the "right" edge of hoop, to the "end" of pattern
2." Right bottom" of "center", out to the "right" edge of hoop, to the "end" of pattern.
3."Left" edge" of hoop, to "left edge" of pattern, to "center"
4."Left top" of hoop, to "left top" edge of pattern, to "center."
This way, I "always" know where I am and everything is "centered".

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

crosstitcher1 wrote: ... use 3 different sizes of hoops, 7 " or 8", then 10", then "finishing with 11"....

That is quite a ritual. I'm curious...why not just use the 11" hoop from the start?

crosstitcher1 wrote:I was taught to, make a "working copy" of pattern, "always" sew in the "circle" method, like a "coil" or "star burst", use 3 different sizes of hoops, 7 " or 8", then 10", then "finishing with 11", use 3 magnets on magnet board, placing 2 of the 3 ||, the the 3rd, - on top of the ||, like a H, then move the - as needed, then move the 3 around the pattern, as needed, and "stagger" my threads as, "lowest" to highest" nos. (^, down, ^, down, ^, down).
Then sew as:
1."Center", out to the "right" edge of hoop, to the "end" of pattern
2." Right bottom" of "center", out to the "right" edge of hoop, to the "end" of pattern.
3."Left" edge" of hoop, to "left edge" of pattern, to "center"
4."Left top" of hoop, to "left top" edge of pattern, to "center."
This way, I "always" know where I am and everything is "centered".

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

thats alot of rules. and may I point out that starting in the center is not required, neither is using multiple hoops.

I dont get what you mean with the magnets, or staggering your threads.

Carrie and Allyn,
By "staggering" my threads is like a "zig-zag" pattern. Up, down, up down.
I use a magnet board to hold my "working chart" pattern. After I find the "center" of the design on the chart, I mark with a "dot" and place the magnets like a H, to show where to start. Then move magnets around the chart and changing my 3 different sizes of hoops, in the "coil" method of my sewing. That way, I always know where I am and project is always "centered."

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

crosstitcher1 wrote:Carrie and Allyn,
By "staggering" my threads is like a "zig-zag" pattern. Up, down, up down.
I use a magnet board to hold my "working chart" pattern. After I find the "center" of the design on the chart, I mark with a "dot" and place the magnets like a H, to show where to start. Then move magnets around the chart and changing my 3 different sizes of hoops, in the "coil" method of my sewing. That way, I always know where I am and project is always "centered."

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

I would love to see pictures of this method, if you don't mind doing a show and tell

crosstitcher1 wrote:Carrie and Allyn, By "staggering" my threads is like a "zig-zag" pattern. Up, down, up down....

I get the magnet thing. Is that helpful on multi-page patterns? I can see that working for a single-page chart. I don 't see how that would work on a large pattern. I'm still curious, though, why not just use the 11" hoop from the start? I don't understand the purpose of starting with a small hoop and then switching them out to gradually increase the size when you could just use the 11-inch hoop from the start. It's a lot of unnecessary steps, being a ritual just for the sake of doing a ritual; but if it works for you, that's all that matters.

I am almost thru with recent project. So when I get back the 1st of April, March is taken up by very personal business, I'll make pics. of my "sewing" technique, from start to finish.

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.