The Boring Party (or Greg Gutfeld is Off My Christmas Card List)

Juli saw this show on Fox News last night and posted the link to Needlepoint Nation. It's a satirical piece about elections these days but the folks who wrote us decided to use the stereotype that needlepointers are boring. Sigh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aUiA7uzwZA

Some days I'm glad needlepoint is under the radar.  Other days the fact that stereotypes like these still exist makes me mad.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 16, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Styling My Neon Rays

My new flat iron

Recently I purchased a $10 flat iron at a big box store near my house.  This is supposed to straighten your hair, which makes it a pretty funny purchase since my hair is straight as a stick naturally.  But I didn't buy it to style my hair—I bought it to help tame threads.

As you can see in the photo, I bought the simplest model available.  It has an on-off switch that is inside the area that you clamp over the threads, so the off/on switch is not visible in the photo.  You plug it in the wall, turn it on, and wait for it to heat up.  You can buy a fancier model with a longer cord, temperature controls, etc. but I didn't bother as I'm only using this on threads that have bends in them from being wrapped around cards.  If you already have a flat iron that you use on your hair, you might want to invest in one just for threads.  I'm told that hair spray and hair conditioners build up on the flat iron's surfaces and might come off on your threads.  This was cheap enough that I can use it just for threads.

Neon Rays, Fresh off the Card

Neon Rays are notorious for being hard to handle and having crimps in them when you cut a length off the card, so I thought I'd use them to test my flat iron.  I cut 5-6 lengths, each about 18 inches long, so that I would have plenty to use in my current project without having to get the flat iron out.

I plugged in my flat iron, turned it on, and after a minute or so I picked out a length of Neon Rays, held it near the end with one hand, clamped the flat iron over the end of the thread near my fingers, and slid it down the full length of the thread.  Nothing happened!  I checked the heat of the flat iron and realized I'd not given it enough time to warm up.  Brands will vary but my basic version needs two-three minutes before it is warm enough to use.

After another wait, I tried again.  This time each strand came through the flat ironing process smooth and sleek.

Smooth and Sleek After Flat Ironing

The flat iron definitely works!  My Neon Ray lengths look about a thousand percent better and I think it will all stitch up nicely.  I will probably use it with other flat threads with kinks such as Flair and ribbon floss. My cheap version doesn't get really hot so I am not worried about melting a thread.  I will test first, though, just to make sure.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 7, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Breaking News: Diversions Needlepoint is Moving

Diversions Needlepoint in Denver is moving!  The shop is closing now as they pack up and get the new space ready.  All the details are listed on their home page.  Stay tuned for the Big Reveal of the new space!
http://www.diversionsneedlepoint.com

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 16, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Skip Tent, The Video

Needlepoint.com's Jinny Barney has done a short video on skip tent. Skip tent is a very popular light coverage stitch for backgrounds, particular if you have just a small area where a larger stitch won't fit.  The video shows how to work skip tent on the diagonal.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AYd0U9uVkE&_bta_tid=32598328565476411863323762681160646614111499567885547289766052363158050539083657653203362937343320956190&_bta_c=2c8t1dafmyet9sg7kj5bnhtlec5if

The shop also has an online course on light coverage background stitches which this video is promoting in case you are intrigued by stitches that allow beautiful shading to show through.
https://needlepoint.com/online-needlepoint-classes/technique-online-classes/openwork-backgrounds-technique-class-24955.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 10, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Couching, The Video

Kreinik has posted a video tutorial on couching.  Of course the tutor from the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design doing the demonstration is using Kreinik threads on fabric, but all this works on needlepoint canvas and it's interesting to watch. She has some good tips, too.
http://kreinikthread.blogspot.com/2018/07/learn-how-to-couch-fun-fibers.html

If you always wanted to try couching but didn't really understand written directions, this is a great resource.  There are more videos on the SF School of Needlework's YouTube channel, too.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcG04h6WCbZ8bAveD7T7cA

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 10, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.