Crossstitchforum - A FREE forum for Cross Stitchers

So I am very new to cross stitch, but I am becoming very intrigued by the HAED projects that many of you are working on. They are stunning! I am even thinking of getting a pattern so I will be ready as soon as my current project is done. (Oh dear, would that be the start of a stash?) My question is what size needle do you use for those projects. The website says they are designed for 25ct fabric, so I am assuming you would work them 1 over 1? My current project is 18ct and I am using a size 26 needle. How much smaller do they come?

Sorry if I am wasting your time on a silly question, but the stores here really do not have many supplies for cross stitch, and surprisingly, no one in the store seems to have any knowledge either.

Starting a stash..... WELCOME, to the stitchers side!

Your needle size will depend on the fabric count you choose. I've bought different sizes because of that little diddy, but find that I usually use a size 24. Maybe my fabric is always that size? I don't know. What I like to do is test the needle size to the actual fabric.

edited to add: don't assume the stitch. You can use any stitch you want, but there will probably be a suggested stitch in the charts directions. Then again, it will all depend on the fabric you choose & the coverage that you like. So, do some test stitches waaaayyyy off to the side & see which one you like. Cross stitching is neat that way, you can take any particular chart & change it to suit YOU (or it's intended owner)

mouselady wrote:Sorry if I am wasting your time on a silly question...

Nope, not a silly question. There are going to be a LOT of those kinds of questions & that's why we're all here...we were newb's once, too! (& for me, it wasn't all that too long ago)

There is no such thing as a silly question! I use a size 28 for everything (including the odd occasion I stitch on 18ct aida) and I stitch my HAEDs on 28ct fabric over 1. Also you can stitch a HAED on any count of fabric - 25ct is just a suggestion, a lot of stitchers use 18ct aida it all comes down to personal preference in the end.

Welcome to cross stitch and stash addiction - the two are separate things in my book !

Mrs Milkybar Kid wrote:- the two are separate things in my book !

Yep! Even when my stitchy-bug flew the coop, I still looked-drooled and occasionally bought for my stash (NOT big things...just a little odd & end).

for 16ct -55ct I use a size 28. I use a 26 for 14ct, and 24-18 needles for bigger threads like pearl cottons.
the site does say 25 ct, and yes thats over one, but you can stitch them on anything you want. I have 2 HAEDs in my WIPs and 3 more planned, I am using 25 1 over 1 for the Accolade, 36 1 over 1 for mini Train of Dreams and I plan on using 40 ct one or two over one (havent tested it yet) tent for Oriental Cranes, 32ct 1 over1 for Treasure Hunt Bookshelf, and 60 ct silk gauze one over one tent for one of the ornaments.
most HAEDS are done between 18-36 count.
if you choose a different fabric remember you thread use will change. the thread use mentioned is for 2 over 1 on 25 ct, so if you do 1 over 1 on 25ct or higher your thread use will be less. it would be not much difference for 2 over 1 on 22ct but you may need more thread for 18ct or lower.
I choose fabric count based on the finshed size, and adjust my thread use accordingly.

welcome to the world of cross stitching and stash collecting (definetly two separate hobbys)

Wow! You are all awesome. Thank you so much. I really appreciate the time you took to give me all of that information. It was so helpful and I think I am getting it now. I want to try a little bit of everything, but first I think I need to find a place to hide my stash. The husband is already starting to make noise I guess I can understand. He doesn't believe I am ever going to finish my current WIP, so he is having a hard time seeing the need to buy more stuff.

Happy stitching everyone!

Info here as well

http://www.crossstitchneedleshop.co.uk/ ... guide.html" target="_blank

Well prove hiubby wrong before you buy any more or get him stitching

No such thing as a silly question. If there were I would never be allowed to ask questions. I prefer size 28's for most everything though I will use 26 and/or 24 for some of the pearl cottons that I use for hardanger stitching. As far as what to use when you start your first HAED, my suggestion is to TEST TEST TEST what you are comfortable with. that means to make sure that the fabric count, amount of strands used, needle size and type of stitch (regular x or tent stitch) are what you like. And test by stitching at least 2 but better if it is 4 blocks of 10 x 10 stitches with several colors for confetti stitching. More than worth it in the end. And ask as many questions as you have. Because someone here will have an answer or advice or suggestion.

Carole

I also use a size 28 needle for everything and work my HAEDs on 28 count evenweave... Welcome to the world of stash acquisition - you'll have SABLE (stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) in no time

My needle size preference tends to be dictated not just by the fabric, but also how many strands I am stitching with. If you park when working on the HAED, you'll be threading your needle over and over and over.. and needle size may make or break it for you. I find I am able to thread a single strand into a size 28 needle easily without a needle threader, but if I am using 2-3 strands of floss, I prefer to have a size 26 needle as the eye is bigger so it is easier to get multiple strands in together.

Again, just like sampling on different fabrics and using different methods (full cross/tenting/etc) I think this is something you need to try out and see which you prefer.

As I've gotten older, my fingers are more clumsy and they numb out alot, so I find the size 24 to be perfect for all my fabric counts (14 - 28) and for my fingers to grasp.

I use a magnetic "needle minder", too, to place my needles, so I don't drop them. (since it can be really hard to pick them up again! )

Enjoy your hobby and I'm sure hubby will come around soon enough. (Does he have a hobby? That might be a solution because then he'd understand the "needs" -lol)

Parksfarm wrote:Welcome to the world of stash acquisition - you'll have SABLE (stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) in no time

Well, we need to keep that possibility away from the hubby.

pattiebelle wrote:As I've gotten older, my fingers are more clumsy and they numb out alot, so I find the size 24 to be perfect for all my fabric counts (14 - 28) and for my fingers to grasp.

This is really good to hear since I've been buying size 26s like crazy for my current project. I've broken three needles in six weeks! I seem to have a lot of tension I'm working off.

I use a magnetic "needle minder", too, to place my needles, so I don't drop them. (since it can be really hard to pick them up again! )

I got one of those last week... So much easier! I also like threading a bunch of needles and then just stitching away without having to stop to rethread.

Enjoy your hobby and I'm sure hubby will come around soon enough. (Does he have a hobby? That might be a solution because then he'd understand the "needs" -lol)

My hubby smokes cigars against my wishes, but I've made a deal with him that each week after he goes to get his cigar stash, we then go to the craft store so I can see if there is anything I might find helpful.

mouselady wrote: ...I am even thinking of getting a pattern so I will be ready as soon as my current project is done. (Oh dear, would that be the start of a stash?) ...

I know lots of folks here will encourage you to buy buy buy and add to your stash. Just be mindful that you don't go crazy (it's so easy to do.) Years ago, when you saw a chart you liked, you had to get it before it went out of print. That doesn't seem to be the case nowadays with electonic downloads and self publishing. I found over the years that my tastes changed and over time I've lost interest in charts that I just had to have when I bought them. When I first looked at the HaED site, I was awed; but I quickly found art-to-stitch sites that I like *so* much better that HaED isn't even on my radar anymore. While you get your footing in the art, you might want to keep peace in the house and start massive wish lists for now until you see where your tastes go.

Allyn,

Thank you so much for your wise and calming words. I am trying not to go crazy. Right now I am still in the information phase. That I can't ever get enough of. No where near ready to buy anything. Really just trying to prepare for when I am ready to start another project. Also, I noticed that the big projects have a lot of colors. It seems that getting the pattern and all the floss will be pretty pricey, but getting the pattern, and then little by little getting the floss... Well, less of a drain on the wallet, and by the time I accumulate all the floss, maybe I will be ready to start the project. Thanks again!

mouselady wrote:... Also, I noticed that the big projects have a lot of colors. It seems that getting the pattern and all the floss will be pretty pricey, but getting the pattern, and then little by little getting the floss... Well, less of a drain on the wallet, and by the time I accumulate all the floss, maybe I will be ready to start the project. Thanks again!

Thats sort of the route I went. Pick a pattern, then buy a couple of skeins of floss on this trip to the craft store, a dozen more the next time I went, a few more when there was a floss sale. Little by little I bought what I needed.. 3-4 years later, I still haven't started that first big project, and not sure I will. Have used the floss in other projects, or it will be there if I ever do decide to start it.

Back to your needle question.. the guide I've got in my head is
14 ct = sz 24 needle
16 ct = sz 26 needle
18 ct = sz 28 needle

But.. now I tend to use a 26 needle regardless of the fabric I am using. Switching between regular and petite lengths. Needle guides are just that- a guide you can follow or throw out the window and do what you want, what feels most comfortable, or whatever needle pack is the easiest to find.

A little footnote: theoretically the size of the needle is related to the count of the cloth because the needle should be wide enough to just open up the hole through which the thread passes. That way, wear and tear on the thread is minimised.

Of course, there are other considerations (how many strands? what sort of thread? metallics? beads?) as well as personal preference involved. But anyway, I find myself using a whole selection of needles.

mouselady wrote:Allyn,

Also, I noticed that the big projects have a lot of colors. It seems that getting the pattern and all the floss will be pretty pricey, but getting the pattern, and then little by little getting the floss... Well, less of a drain on the wallet, and by the time I accumulate all the floss, maybe I will be ready to start the project. Thanks again!

I had the same problem getting started - my first cross stitch project after a small kit I bought to make sure I actually enjoyed this was a HAED with 90 colors in it. So I went whole hog and bought the floss off ebay from a seller who was clearancing out her stock so I got a LOT of the colors for just 20 cents each. Since then I have been adding to my stash a bit at a time.. I like patterns with lots of colors because they have subtle shading which is what appeals to me and often this means I only need a few inches of a color in a project so I set out to gradually get a full set of floss. The way do this is when getting ready to start a new piece I make a list of the colors I need that I don't have yet, and then purchase those as well as a few more if that's in the budget.. bit by bit I've worked my way up to about 450 of the 480ish colors so far.. A suggestion if you're planning on going this way - figure out how you want to store your stash and plan ahead for all the colors. I first put what I had into a single bobbin box, and then expanded to two.. and had to keep rearranging as I got more colors. Finally I wised up and bought 2 more boxes and arranged them as if I already had the full set, putting empty bobbins in as place holders for the colors I don't have yet. Now when I get a color, I just wind it onto the empty bobbin and insert it back into it's space.. no constant rearranging!

NeedleAndFork, that is an excellent idea for arranging the bobbin boxes. I just finished winding a box and three quarters. They haven't been incorporated into the main boxes yet so I will give your idea a try. I have about 300 colors of the DMC line and want to acquire the full set.