AboutHenry Babcock Expertise I learned needlepoint from my grandmother over 30 years ago. I can answer most questions on the subject. I know about producing needlepoint as well as cleaning, repairing and restoring.
Question Sir,
I actually have three questions! I am new to needlepoint and only have done the pillow kits. In the instructions, it says "use 2 ply yarn" but the yarn included has 3. I've been splitting it, is that right? Also, do you recommend working the piece from the middle out or do I do the borders first? And finally, the yarn gets very fuzzy, is it because the stitches are too tight?
Many thanks!
Jude
Answer Jude,
Sir? Too formal! lol
Yes, using 2-ply yarn is common. The wool that comes with many kits is called "Persian Yarn". It's not from Persia. It's a reference to the type of yarn that has the three strands. You have been doing the correct thing and separating the strands.
Either way of stitching the canvas is fine. I would suggest doing the darker colors first. If the background is dark, and the image is lighter, do the background first. If the background is a light color, and the image is darker, do the image first. Doing the darker colors first will keep lighter colors from getting dirty while working the later parts. Either way, it is highly recommended that you stitch with very clean hands. This will help keep any dirt from getting on the project while stitching.
Finally, it's important to keep the tension of the stitches uniform. I don't think over-tight stitches are the exact cause of fuzzy yarn, but really tight stitches will deform the canvas more. The fuzzy yarn is more likely due to stitching the thread in the wrong direction. Believe it or not, there is a proper "direction" to use the wool in. The wool is spun in one direction, so it has a nap or "grain". Imagine the fur on a dog or cat; the fur has a definite direction and you can stroke either with or against the fur. When threading the needle and stitching, you want the "fur" of the yarn to "lay down", not be "ruffled". You can test the yarn direction by rubbing your fingers down the wool thread. Reverse the direction, and rub the thread again. You should be able to feel that one direction is "rougher" than the other. You can also rub the thread under your nose or across the upper lip; this might work better than the fingers for detecting direction. Once you discover the "direction" of the thread, thread the needle so that the stitches pass through the canvas with the "fur" being stroked. This should smooth out the stitches so they don't look as fuzzy.
