As you may have noticed by now, I am not a strict follower of stitch names.  There are a handful I know stand for only one stitch.  The Mosaic Stitch, a Cashmere Stitch, and Woven Hungarian are three examples.

There are stitches I can find no names for as well as stitches with two or more names.  Some of my favorite stitches come from books with stitch names Rug 1, Rug 2, and Rug 3.  I threw up my hands a long time ago and let the diagrams do the talking.

Today's stitch is a perfect example.  It was one of the many rug stitches I mentioned earlier.  I used it for a ground covered in snow, as illustrated in the stitched sample on Instagram.  It would also make a great stitch for a table, or a large window.  I've seen it in several books but no name has been provided.

I named it Open Step Diamond, to reflect the stitches crossing and the emerging diamond halves.  It's a fun stitch though it requires compensation in the beginning and must always start from the same side.

Let's start with the sequence.

This stitch is best started at the far end of the area to be stitched.  In the diagram, it starts on the far left.  As you can see, each subsequent stitch lays over the previous stitch.  Knowing this, add the compensation stitch (the "A-B" step) in the beginning so the remainder of the stitch lays properly.

You repeat this sequence on subsequent rows.

I added examples of the compensation stitches at the top and bottom of the area (the single stitches in opposite directions).  Honestly, for this stitch, I consider those compensation stitches completely optional.  The first set of compensation stitches (the "A-B" steps) from first diagram are not optional.  That is my opinion  Do what you think is best for the stitched area.  Thread weight will play a role in the need for compensation stitches.

These stitch diagrams, along with other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on www.pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday.  

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If you like what you see on this blog, want to learn some very creative decorative stitches, and how to put them all together, whimsicalstitch.com sells stitch guides for seasonal Melissa Shirley designs.  20 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!