Darning Stitch

DARNING STITCH

Darning Stitch:

Working left to right, bring the needle up at A, move over 4 threads and bring the needle down at B. Move over 2 threads, bring the needle up at C. Move over 4 threads and bring the needle down at D. Move over 2 threads and bring the needle up at E. Now, we change direction... Working right to left, move right - over 2 threads and bring the needle down at D. Move over 4 threads, bring the needle up at C. Move over 2 threads and bring the needle down at B. Basically, we work the longer stitches from left to right and then return from right to left and work the shorter stitches.

To start the next row, begin where we left off at B. From B move down 1 thread and over (to the left) 4 threads. Bring the needle up at F. Move to the right over 4 threads and bring the needle down at G. Move over 2 threads, bring the needle up at H. Move over 4 threads and bring the needle down at I. Move over 2 threads, bring the needle up at J. Move to the left over 2 threads and bring the needle down at I. Move to the left over 4 threads, bring the needle up at H. Move over 2 threads and bring the needle down at G. Continue in this manner for any additional rows...

The Darning Stitch is very quick and easy to work. This stitch is worked horizontally. It can be used as a

background stitch or for embellishment. Be sure to maintain an even tension as you change directions. This will help to avoid warping of your canvas.

If you were to create a list of needlepoint stitches, I am sure you would be surprised to find that there are, literally, hundreds of stitches to choose from.

Many of these stitches, however, are known by more than one name. As you peruse the list, you will find that some of the stitches that at first seem unfamiliar actually resemble other more commonly used stitches. This is a common occurrence in the world of needlepoint. In fact, there are some needlepoint stitches that, although completely different, share the same name. Let us take a look at a few of these stitches.

The 2,4,6,8 and Tie Stitch is commonly shortened to just the Tie Stitch. This can cause some confusion because there is another stitch called the Tie Stitch – an altogether different stitch. The 2,4,6,8 and Tie Stitch creates a "quilted" pattern when complete. It is worked by stitching a series of straight stitches over a specific number of canvas threads – 2 threads, 4 threads, 6 threads and 8 threads. The middle stitch, the 8-thread stitch, is anchored with a tie-down stitch. The second Tie Stitch that is often confused with the 2,4,6,8 and Tie Stitch consists of two straight stitches worked within the same canvas holes and tied down with one horizontal stitch. This stitch is often used for rug making. The pattern that the tie stitch creates closely resembles the French Stitch. To make matters even more confusing, the tie stitch is also known as the Double Stitch and the Paris Stitch.

Having mentioned the Paris Stitch, an alias of the Tie Stitch, I should point out that this name should not be confused with the Parisian Stitch. The Parisian Stitch consists of alternating long stitches and short stitches. It is a fairly simple stitch used for quickly filling large areas of canvas. At this point, you are probably wondering if the Parisian Stitch has an alias as well. The answer is, yes, the Parisian Stitch is also known as the Pavillion Stitch and closely resembles the Gobelin Filling Stitch.

Another excellent example of needlepoint stitches with confusing names would be the Scottish Stitch and the Scotch Stitches. Although these stitches closely resemble each other, they form distinctly different patterns. The Scottish Stitch is created by working squares of diagonal stitches and surrounding these squares with tent stitches. The Scotch Stitch, on the other hand, is created by working squares of diagonal stitches that are stitched directly into each other. There are no tent stitches to separate the squares that are formed. This creates a look similar to the Mosaic Stitch. There are numerous variations of the Scotch Stitch; the Condensed Scotch Stitch, the Alternating Scotch Stitch, the Woven Scotch Stitch and the Crossed Scotch Stitch. Each variation of the Scotch Stitch will produce a unique pattern with subtle differences.

The Aubusson stitch, a member of the diagonal stitch family, is also referred to as the Rep Stitch. It is similar to the aforementioned tent stitches, but must always be worked on Penelope (double) canvas. This is because the stitches use both the regular mesh holes along with the small spaces between the horizontal double threads. The Aubusson Stitch is most suited to small, detailed work, not as a background stitch.

Now, let us move on to the plaited stitches. There are a few variations of the plait stitch. All of the plaited stitches are members of the cross stitch family. The basic Plait Stitch is also called the Spanish Stitch. This stitch creates a woven, three-dimensional pattern by working small (only covering two threads), uneven cross stitches through each other. The square plait stitch is commonly referred to as the Woven Band Stitch. This is a much larger plaited stitch than the first Plait Stitch. Basically, this stitch consists of rows of diagonal stitches woven through each other. An interesting square pattern is created, making this an excellent choice for working corners. The Crossed Plait Stitch is the most complicated of the three stitches. It is generally referred to as the Mexican Cross Stitch. The Mexican Cross Stitch is an extremely large cross stitch (nine threads across and down), that creates a diamond pattern within a square. The extremely long cross stitches are woven through each other to create this exciting pattern. It may also be worked at an angle to create a square pattern within a diamond. The Mexican Cross Stitch is very similar to the Waffle Stitch. The difference between the two stitches exists in the size of the finished stitch. Although the Waffle Stitch may be rescaled to suit your needs, it is generally smaller than the Mexican Cross Stitch. There are other variations of the plaited stitches. I will not go into the details of each stitch, but they consist of; the Plaited Edge Stitch (aka Rug Binding Stitch), the Plaited Gobelin Stitch and the Plaited Interlaced Stitch (aka the Diagonal Interlaced Stitch).

As you can see, the list of needlepoint stitches that have pseudonyms is extensive. Just as many needlepoint stitches resemble each other, as well. This is just a small sample of the confusion that exists in needlepoint names and aliases. If you happen across a stitch that seems familiar to you, but whose name you do not recognize, remember…a stitch by any other name…is probably the same stitch! Happy stitchin'.

A Stitch By Any Other Name…

By: Carolyn McNeil

3/1/2008

Stitch-opedia

An encyclopedia of needlepoint Stitches...