my eyes are going....

i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

betsey

On Monday, July 23, 2012 7:58:10 AM UTC-4, betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

betsey

I was chatting with my LNS owner about this a few months ago. She said a lot of her customers have the same problem. A lot of folk have started to use 25ct fabric, such as Lugana, and stitch over 2. I long ago gave up on 32ct up, and have been using 28 ct. For just silly fun things, I have also used 25ct Lugana.

Just my 2 cents worth!
Gillian, currently in NH for the summer.

On Jul 23, 11:29*am, wrote:
On Monday, July 23, 2012 7:58:10 AM UTC-4, betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). *and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. *here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. *i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? *thank you!

betsey

I was chatting with my LNS owner about this a few months ago. She said a lot of her customers have the same problem. A lot of folk have started to use 25ct fabric, such as Lugana, and stitch over 2. I long ago gave up on 32ct up, and have been using 28 ct. For just silly fun things, I have also used 25ct Lugana.

Just my 2 cents worth!
Gillian, currently in NH for the summer.

Gillian...

i am not sure i can even handle 25 ct! oh my!

betsey

On 2012/07/23 10:41 PM, betsey wrote:
On Jul 23, 11:29 am, wrote:
On Monday, July 23, 2012 7:58:10 AM UTC-4, betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

betsey

I was chatting with my LNS owner about this a few months ago. She said a lot of her customers have the same problem. A lot of folk have started to use 25ct fabric, such as Lugana, and stitch over 2. I long ago gave up on 32ct up, and have been using 28 ct. For just silly fun things, I have also used 25ct Lugana.

Just my 2 cents worth!
Gillian, currently in NH for the summer.

Gillian...

i am not sure i can even handle 25 ct! oh my!

betsey

I have found Mageyes a great help. There are probably other magnifying
glasses which help too. With those and a really good light you can do
almost any count of fabric - unless you have real eye problems.

Joyce in RSA. (who was 80 in March.)

On 7/23/2012 6:58 AM, betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.

WooHoo!

here's the thing...i am
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

Get yourself to Wally World (or your discount store-of-choice) and buy
some reading glasses. They come in a variety of strengths. Might be
handy if you took some of your stitching with you so you can try and see
which strength is best.

I'd be lost if not for my 3 pair!


--
Joan


See my needlework he
http://community.webshots.com/user/ndjoan

If worries can cure your sickness, prolong your life, or replace
happiness, then go ahead and worry! If they can't, why worry?

Enjoy every moment of your life...there is no second chance.

Unknown

On 7/23/2012 7:58 AM, betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

betsey


I have a friend who is nearing 80, and she wears mag-eyes or reading
glasses to work on 28 ct

Another friend who is turning 63 on Friday wears reading glasses on top
of her regular glasses (needed to read the chart), but lower down on her
nose.

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

betsey

Betsey, when my eyes first started failing me, I went to get them tested
and had a Great Whinge to the optometrist about not being able to see my
needlework. He suggested I get a pair of prescription magnifying glasses
with exactly the focal length I need to stitch. At the time, there was a
two-for-the-price-of-one offer on glasses, so my new magnifying specs
didn't cost that much at all. When I need a new pair, I'll be happy to
pay whatever they cost, because it made all the difference in being able
to do the fine work I like.

This was a great benefit to me because my left eye has different
problems to the right one - I need different lenses for each eye, and el
cheapo reading specs don't work for me. Also, I got my mag-specs with
tiny half-moon frames so I could easily look at my charts and friends
over the top of them. (My DH reckons it gives me great pleasure to look
daggers at him over the top of my glasses - and he's right: it does! ;D)

The only drawback I've noticed is that prolonged use can cause a bit of
eye strain and you have to consciously re-focus on other things before
you attempt to stand up. There's this kind of
Alice-in-Wonderland-miniature-world feeling... Hard to explain, but I
know what I mean.

Anyway, HTH.

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia

On 7/23/2012 4:58 AM, betsey wrote:
i haven't done any cross stitch/linen work in years. over vacation, i
finished the cross stitching on my son's shepherd's bush stocking
(hey, he's 10!). and rediscovered how much i really like it.
sooo...came home and dived into my stash. here's the thing...iam
having such the tough time working on linen, and i don't care for
aida. i think i need to invest in larger (like 19 count?) linen and
just "upsize" whatever i want to work on.

would anyone have ideas? thank you!

betsey


I have bad astigmatism, so drugstore reading glasses wouldn't help me
unless worn in conjunction with my regular glasses. I don't want to
wear two pairs of glasses at a time.

The bifocals I got from my local optometrist were very expensive and the
prescription wouldn't do for close up work. I solved my problem by
ordering prescription close-up glasses online. I kept the astigmatism
part of the prescription the same, but modified the close up part of my
bifocal prescription to be much closer up.

My glasses cost $25 including shipping and paying for the fancier lenses
required for more extreme prescriptions.

Betsy (I also have a 10 yo son)

thank you everyone for the advice! will visit walmart today and see
what they have. i have thought about getting the magnifier attachment
for my ott floor lamp, but keep thinking it might be a pain to use.

betsey

ps-betsy-is your son's name Nate????

On 7/24/2012 4:51 AM, betsey wrote:
thank you everyone for the advice! will visit walmart today and see
what they have. i have thought about getting the magnifier attachment
for my ott floor lamp, but keep thinking it might be a pain to use.

betsey

ps-betsy-is your son's name Nate????

No, I guess we aren't that parallel, though I take it we are both older
moms. I keep mistaking young grandparents for parents at the park.

--Betsy