Hello there! Can you believe that we’re already to the end of our Winter Threadventure? I know – neither can I! The ultimate in coziness awaits you at our final destination, so hop aboard the Serendipity Express with me and let’s take our magical virtual vacation train to the last stop on our 2019 Winter Threadventure…

Copenhagen, Denmark (And here we are… that sure was quick! ????)

It’s reeaaalllly cold here but the Danish have a way to combat the winter doldrums…

Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) means creating a warm, cozy atmosphere and enjoying good things with good people. It’s a way of life in Denmark. That’s why we’re exploring the essence of “hygge” here in Copenhagen. You see, the Danes are the happiest people in the world, according to the World Happiness Report, and I’ll bet we can uncover some of their secrets while we’re visiting.

So, what exactly is hygge? It could be the cheerful glow of candlelight, snuggling under a squishy blanket by the fire, or wearing a soft fuzzy sweater while enjoying a steaming cup of gløgg.

Ready to try your hand at adding a wee bit of hygge to your needlepoint projects?

Terrific! Let’s light some candles…

Candles provide natural light and natural light makes us feel better than an electric light. The Danes call candles “levende lys” which means living light. And that makes perfect sense, don’t you think? The flickering flame of a candle really does look like it’s alive!

So, how can you stitch the candles on your needlepoint canvases, like this one from Tapestry Fair, so they look real? Great question!

The upright Gobelin stitch creates truly realistic candle flames.

It’s super easy to execute – and it’s also easy to compensate. It’s one of those stitches that you can always count on and it’s a terrific choice for beginning stitchers or if you’re new to using decorative stitches on your canvases.

The upright Gobelin stitch is truly a workhorse stitch that you’ll find yourself using over and over again. In fact, it almost always works when nothing else will. ????

Execute this stitch from top to bottom – back and forth in horizontal rows – in an area, following the numbers on the stitch diagram above.

Upright Gobelin is a straight stitch, so be sure and use a thick enough thread if you’re trying to achieve full coverage on your canvas. You can work it over 2 – 6 canvas threads, but I prefer working it over 2, 3, or 4 threads. It’s a smallish stitch so it’ll fit in just about any space.

I’m using Water n’ Ice to work the Gobelin stitch.

Water n’ Ice is a loosely braided translucent ribbon-type thread. It is 100% nylon and is available in 18 colors. Each card holds 10 yards. I recommend using it for long stitches on 13 – 18 mesh canvas.

While Water n’ Ice can be a little finicky to work with, it’s well worth the effort – especially on painted canvases where you want the color to show through. It has a tendency to fray, so use Fray Check or a Thread Zap to treat the ends and use short pieces (no longer than 15″).

You have two options when using Water n’ Ice to stitch a candle flame. You can work the Gobelin stitch in the clear color (WT12) and allow the paint to show through. Or you can use different colors of Water n’ Ice to add more depth of hue.

My favorite Water n’ Ice colors for stitching flames are…

• WT 3 – Flame Yellow
• WT4 – Flame Orange
• WT5 – Flame Red
• WT6 – Flame Dark Red

Use the stabbing method to stitch – come straight up through the canvas and take your needle to the back straight down through the canvas – being careful not to drag your thread along the surface or pull it at an angle. And be sure to use a laying tool.

To get the best effect with this thread, it should lay flat against the canvas on both the front and the back. It takes a little practice to get the hang of laying ribbon-type threads flat on the backside of your work without having to flip your canvas over with every single stitch you take. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get it right away. Just keep at it and your persistence will pay off. Trust me. ????

I’m using one strand of Water n’ Ice (WT12) in a #22 tapestry needle to work my stitch sample on a piece of 13 mesh needlepoint canvas.

Oh – and you can also use this stitch/thread combo to stitch blazing fires on your needlepoint projects – like the one you see in this canvas by Sandra Gilmore.

Ellen Johnson

Well hello there, lovely! The snowflakes are swirling round and round and it’s great to be back with you this week as we continue our trek through the Nordic countries. We’re gonna have oodles of F-U-N at our next stop, so hop aboard the Serendipity Express with me and let’s take our magical virtual vacation train to a place I’m sure you’ve heard of…

Lillehammer – site of the 1994 Winter Olympics!

(Gee, that was quick.) ????

Lillehammer is in the heart of Norway and it overlooks the northern part of Lake Mjøsa and the Lågen River – both of which are frozen right now. Snowy mountains surround this picturesque city that’s home to fewer than 30,000 people.

Wondering what we’re gonna explore here in Lillehammer? I thought you might be.

That picture below is your first clue. ????

Yep – this week’s destination is all about snow, too! Our Scandinavian friends are surrounded by snow in the wintertime, so I thought we’d take a deeper dive into that pristine white fluffy stuff. (Click here if you didn’t see last week’s destination – it’s a “winner, winner chicken dinner”, too!)

Whaddya’ say we take a look at a terrific stitch for…

snowflakes!

Did you know that the shape of a snowflake largely depends upon the temperature and humidity at which it forms? As the flake moves through different zones in the atmosphere, well – that’s when the complex structure develops.

Snowflakes usually have six arms (or dendrites, as scientists call them) and that’s because ice has a hexagonal crystalline structure.

As a snowflake falls through the atmosphere, each arm grows independently from each of the corners of the hexagon, while either side of each arm grows independently. And snowflakes usually aren’t completely symmetrical, so you can rest easy if your needlepoint snowflakes aren’t perfect either. ????

The Daisy stitch is a terrific choice for individual snowflakes.

It’s super easy to execute – work the stitches just like you see in the diagram below and you’ll be golden!

One thing you’ll notice is that there are no even numbers on this stitch diagram. That’s because each stitch “ends” in the center hole. Counting by odd numbers, beginning at 1 and ending at 31, will ensure that you don’t miss any stitches. ????

Now, back to the daisy stitch…

It’s terrific for individual snowflakes that you might find on holiday canvases like “Candy Cane Snowman” by Pepperberry Designs. In fact, I’d stitch all of those little white dots with the daisy stitch.

The daisy stitch is quite small and that means you can use it on just about any size canvas. It’s a really good choice for beginning stitchers – or if you’ve been away from needlepoint for a while. And it’s just so darn fun to make that I’ll bet you find yourself using it for all sorts of other design components, too. (Tee hee!)

 I’m using Nordic Gold to work the daisy stitch.

Nordic Gold is a 52% metallic polyester/48% nylon chain construction thread. It’s stronger than blending filament and is one of the more pleasant metallic threads to work with. And speaking of blending filament, Nordic Gold is a very fine weight thread that is equivalent to 2 – 3 strands of blending filament.

It’s available in 10 colors and each card holds a generous 25 yards. Rainbow Gallery suggests that it’s good for needlepoint up to 24 mesh canvas, which means that it’s a super versatile thread to have you in your stash. ????

I recommend using Nordic Gold “as is” off the card. It’s not as prone to unraveling as some of the other metallic threads we’re using, but you’ll still probably want to treat the ends for fraying. Oh – and use pieces no longer than 18″.

You could also use Petite Silk Lamé Braid for the daisy stitch.

I’m using one strand of Nordic Gold (ND17) in a #22 tapestry needle to work my stitch sample on a piece of 18 mesh needlepoint canvas. If you want to practice the Daisy stitch with Petite Silk Lamé Braid (SP02) on a piece of 18 mesh canvas, thread one strand in your needle.

And that, my friend, brings us to the end of our stay in Norway.

It’s been so much fun sharing this fun stitch/thread combo with you.

I’m ready for some stitching time by the fire. How about you? Let’s check into our cozy little cabin for the night and brew ourselves a nice warm cuppa. ????

Until next week, happy stitching! 

XOXO!!!

PS: There are oodles of needlepoint canvases that feature snow and it can be hard to narrow down which stitches will look best. You can rest assured that all of the snowy stitches from weeks 5 and 6 will work on a variety of projects, but you might want to be able to choose your own stitch/thread combinations. Inside The Stitcher’s Club, I help you learn how to do just that! Enrollment will be opening soon, so if you’d like to learn more about it just click here.

Ellen Johnson

Well hello again! Our 2019 Winter Threadventure is speeding right along. We’re making our way into Norway this week where we’ll have fun playing in the snow! Hop aboard the Serendipity Express with me and let’s take our magical virtual vacation train to our fifth stop…

snowy Narvik. And here we are!!!

Narvik is one of the northernmost towns in the world. It lies on the shores of the Ofotfjord, an inlet of the Norwegian Sea. And even though it’s 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Narvik’s port is ice-free year-round, thanks to the North Atlantic Current.

Ironically, that same North Atlantic Current provides Narvik with a milder climate than you might expect for a place that sits on such a northerly latitude. But still, there’s a lot of snow!

The Scandinavian Mountains – the ones you see in that picture up there ????- are a country-long chain of peaks that is geologically continuous with the mountains of Scotland and Ireland in Europe. That same chain crosses the Atlantic Ocean and re-emerges in North America as the Appalachian Mountains. And Tuscaloosa is right at the base of the foothills of the Appalachians. Pretty cool, huh?

Those snow-covered mountains offer some of the finest skiing in the world.

Did you know that nearly one-third of Norway’s landmass is above the tree line? That means trees can’t grow there, so the landscape is pretty stark. Mostly, you’ll see snow covered mountains and glaciers.

Today’s stitch, the Nobuko stitch, is a terrific option for snow.

It’s particularly effective for stitching smooth snow. Think new-fallen snow as you see in this canvas by Maggie and Co., “Night Snow Reflection”.

Freshly fallen snow doesn’t have much texture and the Nobuko stitch implies just enough movement to create subtle depth and dimension for gently rolling hills. You may also reverse the slant of your stitches to alter directionality.

Let’s take a look at the stitch diagram. You can see that the Nobuko stitch is a true diagonal stitch.

What does that mean? Great question!

A true diagonal stitch lies across the same number of vertical and horizontal canvas threads. The short tent stitch lies across one vertical and one horizontal canvas thread (i.e., intersection) and the longer diagonal stitch lies across three vertical and three horizontal canvas threads.

For example, when you bring your needle to the front of the canvas at number 3, you then count over to the right three vertical canvas threads and up 3 horizontal threads to arrive at number 4, which is where you take your needle to the back of the canvas to complete the stitch.

Make sense? Terrific! And remember, as long as you use the stitch diagram as your roadmap for where to place your needle, you’ll be golden!

The Nobuko stitch is a smallish stitch so it’ll work on a variety of canvases – from ornaments to pillows. It’s also a terrific background stitch.

I’m using two threads to work this stitch.

First, I’m using Neon Rays to work the long stitch in the Nobuko stitch. Neon Rays is making an encore appearance and you can click here learn more about it.

And the other thread I’m using for the Nobuko stitch is Kreinik Tapestry Braid #12. It’s made of synthetic fiber that is tightly braided together by a machine to become a single strand of thread.

Kreinik Braids are metallic threads that you can use “as is” – straight off the spool. (Don’t separate them.) They add the beautiful shimmer of a real metal thread, but in a material that’s easier to use, less expensive, washable, and more readily available.

Kreinik Tapestry Braid #12 comes in 243 stunning colors. Each spool holds 10 meters/11 yards. (The 10M on the end of the spool indicates the quantity of thread on the spool. ????)

It’s not particularly prone to fraying, but you can certainly use a Thread Zap or Fray Check on the ends if you want. I’ve found that it helps to “tame” Kreinik braid by running it between my fingers about 10 times before I thread it into my needle. Oh – and be sure to use shorter pieces (no longer than 15″).

I’m using Kreinik Tapestry Braid #12 to work the short tent stitches in the Nobuko stitch.

Use one strand of Neon Rays (N102) in a #22 tapestry needle to execute the long stitch in the Nobuko pattern. And use one strand of Kreinik Tapestry Braid #12 (032) in a #22 tapestry needle for the short tent stitch to complete the Nobuko stitch pattern. Work your stitch sample on a piece of 18 mesh needlepoint canvas.

Use a laying tool to lay your thread smoothly on the surface of your canvas for the best effect.

Where will you use the Nobuko stitch?

Do you have a snowy canvas? Or will you use the Nobuko stitch for a background? It’s also a good option for sand, in case you’re working on a design with a summery theme – and dreaming of warmer weather. ????

Before you go, please tell me how you plan to use the Nobuko stitch on one of your canvases down there in the comments box. ????

Don’t be shy – I ❤️ hearing from you and I read every single note.

And since Valentine’s Day is next week, I think I’ll do a fun giveaway.

When you share your thoughts with me below, I’ll enter your name into the drawing for a Bella Lusso thread bouquet. (squeeee!!!)

Alrighty, that’s all for now.

Thanks ever so much for joining me here and…

until next time, happy stitching!

XOXO!!! ❤️

Ellen Johnson