n00b stitcher requests advice!

[amalnahurriyeh]

I am so excited to have found this comm! I've just gotten into needlework; I've tried before, but for some reason I've gotten incredibly addicted this time. I finished my first piece last week, a 5x5 Dimensions needlepoint piece as a birthday gift for my mother-in-law. (You can see it here, and the pattern, which I altered, as well as my reaction to it here.) I tried to find another kit to work, but the Michael's nearest to me was entirely sold out of needlepoint kits, so I bought some 11-count Aida and am using my wife's childhood embroidery floss collection to work this pattern, since my son has requested that I make him A LION AND A WHAAAAAAAAALE, for reasons that are only clear in his little two-year-old mind.

I'm enjoying it a lot, but I though I'd ask for some advice from more experienced stitchers.

First: Since I started doing needlework two weeks ago, I've been having not just hand/wrist pain (not surprising--I get hand pain easily), but also a very sore neck and jaw. I'm wondering if this is because I'm doing so much needlework. Is there any sort of "proper" posture that can help with not getting sore from doing needlework, or should I just, you know, not spend my whole evening with needle in hand?

Second: I don't have a hoop. Obviously, for the butterfly project I didn't need one, but I know I technically should be using one for the aida I'm working on now. But I don't know quite why I need one; the aida is stiff enough for me to work it without problem. Is this about aida being stiffer than regular cloth, and when I start working on linen or whatever I'll need one?

Third: I am having a hard time with dividing floss, which I've just started doing with this new pattern. As I pull it apart, it gets tangled up and gross. I'm just splitting it into 3-and-three by separating at one end and pulling; is there a better way?

Thanks!

Comments

[deird1]

The reason I bought a hoop:

- I started out without one.
- Got to a bit of stitching where I had a few stiches, then none, then a few more of the same colour.
(like this:
++++_______+++
++++_______+++
++++______++++
+++_______++++
+++_______++++
++_______+++++
...and so on)
- When I finished for the evening, I suddenly realised that the whole bit in the middle without stitches was all bunched up, because I hadn't had it sitting flat, so there wasn't enough thread between stitches.
- I had to unpick that entire section and start again.

Having a hoop is, of course, a matter of personal preference. But I find it helpful for keeping the fabric laid out the way it's supposed to be.

[bearshorty]

Hoop will help to keep all the stitching even. I just got used to working with a hoop even for Aida (for regular cloth is it very necessary). You can get a medium size, they are pretty cheap and just try it out. It might also help your pain in the hands as well since holding on to the hoop is easier. (Although I'm weird in that I learned to stitch with two hands so that the thread can pass through one hand at the back while the other holds the needle on the other side. That prevents knots and tangles)

Pull the floss one at a time. As you pull, make it glide a bit, hold the rest of the floss lightly. But always pull one at a time, not several at once. Then put back together the number you need.

Hope this helps.

The butterfly pattern is very nice.

[ex_pippin880]

Aida will soften as you work with it. Also I tend to find that hoops hurt my wrist less (and plastic canvas is even less pain). And they make it easier to deal with larger swatches.

Take breaks when you stitch! Like how if you're playing computer games it's recommended to take a 5-minute break every (half?) hour. Walk around!

Don't know why your jaw would be sore, though. Are you grinding or clenching in concentration?

I don't use floss, so unfortunately I can't help with that!

[nicki]

A hoop should help with the hand/wrist pain because then it is easier to hold the cloth in a position that's comfortable for you.

With the thread separation make sure you are pulling with even force on both sides, splitting them away from each other instead of splitting one part out of the other. The more you do it, the better your touch should get.

I'd guess the jaw and neck pain are either from the way you were sitting to get the stitches even without a hoop or maybe an issue with lighting. 11 count shouldn't need a ton of light to work, but it might be the problem.

[rhianona]

As others have noted, hoops keep the cloth taut so make the stitches even. Also, it helps with the wrist/hand pain. There are different types of hoops of course and frames. It's a good idea to take the cloth out of the hoop when you're not stitching and to roll up the cloth when not using, so as to prevent 'hoop lines.' be careful of the material you opt for in the hoop -- sometimes it can stain the fabric, which is why some suggest wrapping it with muslin cloth. *shrugs* I tend to use either the wooden ones or plastic frame sets for my bigger pieces.

As for floss, make sure the piece isn't too long... Longer pieces tend to tangle easier. I usually hold one end taut and gently tease out the two threads I need, pulling it gently away from the others. I also have spools that I wrap the floss around, so it doesn't get tangled up when I'm not using it and it gets moved around.

If you find yourself hurting after stitching for several hours, it is probably the way you sit. Like sitting at a computer for hours on end, sitting and stitching can aggravate the same muscles. Try to keep your posture straight while stitching -- which probably means you need a good light source, so you're not hunching down and squinting to see where you are in the pattern or where the needle goes. Take breaks because yes, you are straining yourself.

Lastly, enjoy your stitching! It's a fun hobby. :)

[willidan]

I'll echo everyone's opinion on the hoops. Linen, when you work up to it, requires a hoop.

RE: the wrist/hand pain; I've found that if I just lay the cross stitch in my lap for a few seconds every ten or fifteen minutes (or when I change floss color) it helps with the pain.

A lion and a whaaaaaale! Sounds like fun.

[aunty_marion]

I rarely use a hoop - I use a frame instead, and I like the Siesta bar frames particularly. If you don't know them (I don't know if they're available in the US, but it wouldn't surprise me!), they're balsa-wood square-cross-section bars, with a dovetail joint at each end. You buy them in pairs, in lengths from about 3" up to 24", and then you take two pairs to make up a square or rectangle of the right size to enclose your work. You can use thumbtacks/drawing pins to secure the fabric to the frame (tip: place the fabric with the non-working side/back of the fabric upwards over the frame, and turn it over to work - then you can get the needle in at the edges to weave the ends through to finish off a length!), but I get some flat 3-pointed pins which I think are sold for silk-painting purposes, as they're a bit more secure and because they have three points they don't let the fabric pull away from the point of the pin so much.

If I can't use those, I use a roll frame - either a non-sew type (plastic tubing with grip-bars) or a traditional 'sew-on' type; but I prefer the Siesta bars!

Yay! New Stitcher!

[explorer0713]

When separating threads: Look at the two ends, you will notice one is usually wound fairly tight (the end you just cut off the skein) and one is a little looser with a thread or two starting to pull away from the others. This is the end you want to pull the individual plies from. If there are no loose threads, just roll one of the ends between your finers a couple of times and they will loosen up.

Hold the thread straight up and down between your thumb and forefinger. Grabbing ONE thread at a time, pull that ply up as you slide the rest down. Don't rush it and try to move in a steady movement. You will see it slide out pretty smoothly with tangles being rare. Reapeat for the number of plies you need to use.

Think of it this way - as you pull the ply you are creating a | sort of line instead of a Y shape . When you make the Y - pulling threads in two directions away from center, the center portion spins around on itself and bunches up where the threads are separating and that is why you have tangles.

~~~~~
Regarding hoop/frames, it is a matter of personal choice of course, but I nearly always use one. I just find taut fabric to be much easier to work with. You can buy hoops in a wode variety of sizes fro 2" to 2'. I find myself using my 6" most often and my 4" for small pieces. Smaller pieces - like bookmarks, I usually do in hand.

~~~~~~

Check out you local Goodwill/charity shop/garage sales for bargains. You will be surprised what you can find. I have found, kits, packets of flosses, lots of fabrics, some patterns and books, kits for techniques I'd never tried or heard of before, etc. and for cheap. Also a very good source for frames. Perfect for the learner, too, because if something doesn't work out, you haven't spent a fortune on your learning experience.

~~~~~

If you haven't noticed already, there are tons and tons and tons of stitching resources on line from how-tos to free patterns. And don't forget your public library will also have helpful books with patterns in them.

~~~~~

I have a feeling some of your pain may be coming from hunching over your work with your shoulders rolled forward. I also think this posture is largely because the craft is new to you and you are concentrating so hard. Now that you know you can stitch and can complete something, you can relax a little. Let the concentration-tension flow away and much of the pain will leave as well. The hand/finger pain may just be a case of tired muscles because you are using your hands and fingers in a different way that you are used to and you just need to get accustomed to it. Take a day off and let them rest now and then.