Setting Yourself Up for Successful Stitching
Total beginner or experienced stitcher? No matter your level of expertise, starting on a new project can be exciting, yet daunting.
One
Read through the whole pattern.
If you’re making a garment, the first step is to determine the size you’re making. Check the pattern for the finished specs and identify which size would be best for you. Most patterns have size variations indicated throughout the pattern, and reading through all the parenthesis can take some getting used to. If using a paper pattern, grab your highlighter and mark up the pattern every time you see your size. If using a digital pattern, consider an app to aid you.
If you’re not making a garment, it can still be helpful to read the pattern through once, similar to a cooking recipe. This gives you an outline of the road to come.
Two
Check you have the right tools and enough yarn.
What tools you actually need is hotly debated in the fiber arts community. But the basics include:
Knitting needles or crochet hook in the appropriate size
Scissors
Yarn for your project
Needle with a large eye (tapestry needle)
Many kits will come pre-assembled with the all materials you need. Other things to consider include stitch markers, a row counter, and a tape measure.
Three
Make your tension swatch (or don’t).
Tension is one of the trickiest concepts in fiber arts and takes many people years—or a lifetime—to master. A tension swatch is a square you make prior to constructing your actual piece. It’s tempting to skip this step (and many people do), but it’s also the absolute best way to ensure your piece will turn out the right size, especially if you’re making a garment. A tension swatch can inform you on how to properly adjust your stitching (i.e., if you’re stitching too tight or too loose, or if you need to go up or down a needle/hook size).
Four
Start stitching!
Mistakes will happen, and one of the many therapeutic benefits of the fiber arts is learning to embrace and work through those mistakes. It’s all part of the process. If you’re working with me as a client, we will tackle this process together and use it as a lens to explore other aspects of life that are difficult and challenging. And we’ll build tangible skills to address those challenges, in both life and stitching.