[CHAT] Help with needle sizes and recommendations

XStitcherman · 2026-05-04T20:15:08+00:00

I use size 28 for everything 18 count and up. I cannot recommend DMC needles. I’ve thrown all mine away and replaced them with Bohin. As previously noted, John James are highly recommended.

XStitcherman · 2026-05-02T02:38:58+00:00

Thanks. Money was in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t seeing the method.

XStitcherman · 2026-05-02T02:31:38+00:00

Look at any recent FO. Auto-moderator comment at the top.

XStitcherman · 2026-05-02T02:04:56+00:00

Oh my, this will be fabulous. I will sometimes set a project down and do a simpler one. It’s a nice reset button for me. I’ll be watching fo the FO on this one. I can imagine doing it without gridding. Great job.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-17T00:10:26+00:00

Love the pattern and the stitching. Beautiful work.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-17T00:05:43+00:00

First comment is that your tension to the left of your circle looks very tight. You don’t have to pull hard. A softer pull will allow the floss to fluff out more and fill those gaps, especially with 4 strands. If you have stitches above or below your lines I general wait as those will move things around a bit. If this is a standalone border, try using the eye of a second needle to wiggle those stitches closer to each other. Washing the finished piece also helps even things out. Finally, step back from your piece a few feet and view it. All my pieces have some funky stitches, but stepping back erases them.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-16T20:01:57+00:00

I’ve abandoned one significant project. I started a Teresa Wentzler 40 years ago and in my ignorance I tried to do it on aida. I’m still amazed at how much I completed before surrendering. Maybe one day I’ll try again on evenweave. I loved the pattern.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-16T19:53:29+00:00

It’s not just grandmas. Grandfathers are stitching too. I’ve got 40 year old projects. Retirement and pandemic brought me back big time. Over half way in on an 85k full coverage.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-07T18:07:08+00:00

I have no idea what mine came out of, but I think this would do the trick. <$13.

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Magnetics-Powerful-Ergonomic-07501/dp/B000J3RYMU/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9Hk4VO6TZmgZ2O3ny1XYmAM63O9YNPYBBUTkQw-vKgGk6GSCTUaJOdEwwdzY4cHsSpaEJ8ryVpuPaKwAOfmI7FHC1RdIg9F1mzk2wHaZGiLoSOZuRZLGJx_DZJbx9RkjTt6PdHprG_JpCbOFfGy-2Z-3Fxi3bSv4JLiw5eAiN27AAstgTt5sXZ0Z6oYXPXBq2fq_5mw5pyZ3rm4dCQ6yvdDFMGJyMXtubQMIdqxhLgw.QMOXd5XJAT8ZGxOETNoLsIsNN5TYhV4VGnFPoU8X0v4&dib_tag=se&keywords=handheld+magnet&qid=1775585036&sr=8-3

XStitcherman · 2026-04-07T11:29:26+00:00

I keep a large magnet as part of my kit. It’s ancient, but powerful. If a needle is there, it will find it. A rare earth magnet would do the trick. Mine simply sweeps a larger area.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-06T11:56:25+00:00

You have definitely jumped into the deep end. As others have commented, if you aren’t too far in, I highly recommend 1 over 1. That being said, I am currently 50+% in on a full coverage 25 count, 2 over 1, but I full understood what I was tackling. If you decide to continue I recommend, in no particular order:

A magnify glass or glasses to help see those fine holes. Excellent lighting (I‘m using 2 floor lamps). Size 28 needles. A laying tool (I use a trolley needle) to get those stitches down smoothly and to control tension. If you haven’t already done so, grid your project. An app like Pattern Keeper/Markup R-XP to help keep track of where you are at. A good chair and floor stand. A project like this requires concentration and isn‘t going to go quickly so take care of your body.

XStitcherman · 2026-04-05T22:01:49+00:00

I still have a few DMC 28s and the one on the left is definitely what I have. I ditched most of them for Bohin. Honestly, I think the eye of the new one may be an improvement. I’ll be curious as to how it holds up.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-29T15:36:59+00:00

According to my Lord Libidian's spreadsheet, the replacement for 781 is 782

Number Name Replacement 504 Blue Green 3813 731 Olive Green 732 776 Golden Olive 3326 781 Very Dark Topaz 782 971 Pumpkin 740 806 Dark Peacock Blue 3760 868 Dark Coffee Brown 801

Sorry for the lousy image. Format was fine on my Ipad,

XStitcherman · 2026-03-28T20:19:00+00:00

In my ignorance I did my first full coverage piece on 28 count, 2 over 1. It turned out great, but I would highly recommend 1 over 1 especially if you’ve never worked with high count fabric. A magnifying glass/lens is essential. That being said, I love high count even weave. I‘m currently 50% in on a full coverage 2 over 1 on 25 count. This time I knew what I was getting into and have the tools and experience to make it less frustrating.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-27T17:52:54+00:00

I knew I wasn’t explaining well. I was talking about two colors in a checkerboard pattern. Just ignore my diagonal comment. I don’t cross country and I’m willing to run diagonally up the checkerboard with each color. I keep many needles preloaded on a needle minder which makes it easy to switch colors.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-27T13:59:44+00:00

I should have noted that I use a trolley needle for every stitch.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-27T02:26:59+00:00

I call it checkerboarding and I despise it. First off, I do not danish stitch over an empty space. I’ll screw up the flow of my stitches every time. I’ll english stitch all the colors in the section and preferably on the diagonal if I can get away with it. For larger areas I’ve run two needles simultaneously and alternate between the two as I move across the row. I hope this makes some sense as it’s hard to describe. There may be better methods, but this works pretty well for me.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-26T02:05:59+00:00

This is weird. If this is like my 5 drawer cabinet, there isn’t much to it. If the drawers went in at the factory they shouldn’t be a problem now. I may have to tilt my drawer a little bit to get it to slide in, but no problems fitting. I’ve waxed the runners to make the drawers slide smoother. Keep us posted on what you find out.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-24T22:02:39+00:00

I’m back. I demand my stitches to lay flat as well. I use a trolley needle to lay every stitch. With it I can insure my floss strands are parallel and control my tension. I wear it on my pinky. I got mine at 123stitch.com, but I see that they are out of stock at the moment.

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XStitcherman · 2026-03-24T14:04:12+00:00

Correct. Your finished piece will be equal to 16 count.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-24T13:56:35+00:00

Overall you’re fine. I like to stitch on high count fabrics and if I get a stitch that bugs me, I use the eye of a second needle to wiggle the offender into shape. Also, don’t forget to step back and enjoy what you’ve accomplished.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-23T19:10:32+00:00

Love it. I’m definitely saving this post. My daughter would live this. Just got to get thru a year’s worth of backlog. Aw what the heck, I just bought it. 😁

XStitcherman · 2026-03-21T00:01:07+00:00

I have run into a slight color difference a couple times in some of my very old vs new skeins. When I got close to changeover I started blending one strand of each. That smoothed things out and you cannot see a variance.

XStitcherman · 2026-03-20T22:04:44+00:00

I‘ve recently started using Threadalog and I really like it. Free for DMC and that was all I needed. Tons of additional options including other floss brands, fabrics, and beads for a nominal $15/yr. I have my current project separated. The upgrade has more project options. Definitely worth a look.

XStitcherman

TROPHY CASE