Today’s stitch comes from a stocking I did for one of my favorite kids ten years ago. So, said kid is at least two heads taller than me now but still thanks me for the stocking…every single Christmas. I adore him.

Since I stitched this almost ten years ago, I don’t have a clear recollection of where I stumbled across this stitch. What I do remember is I loved it the moment I saw it. Diagonal stitches are not my forte but the contrasting diagonal stripe made all the difference for me. That simple and uncommon accent makes this stitch sing for me. The stitched sample is Pepper Pot Silk (black lines), white Shimmer (gray lines), and green Shimmer (yellow lines). It’s one of three patterns in a checked pattern at the bottom of a Melissa Shirley stocking.

It’s a great all-purpose diagonal stitch. I’m looking forward to including it in a stitch plan for a wooly coat with Burmilana (black lines), a mild metallic such as Glisten (yellow lines), and a darker Burmilana (gray lines). There are many household objects that this will work for, such as a blanket or a pillow. I would love to see it as a blanket with Alpaca (black lines), Silk Lame (yellow lines), and a contrasting Silk Lame (gray lines).

These stitch diagrams, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here.

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IIf you like what you see on this blog, there's more: Mary’s Whimsical Stitches Volume 1 is a contemporary how-to collection of more than 250 stitches for stitchers regardless of skill level. The book includes updated and sequenced diagrams from this blog, all-new stitches, and a chapter on the basics of needlepoint; Mary’s Whimsical Stitches Volume 2 features chapters on Balanced, Beading, Diagonal, Layered, Oblique, Small, and Straight stitches.

Also, you can download The Essentials, a free guide covering basic needlepoint stitches and stitch compensation techniques along with new top-line information on needlepoint materials and tools, how to handle threads, and other helpful needlepoint resources.

whimsicalstitch.com also sells Stitch Guides and Stitch Concepts for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, Sandra Gilmore, Purple Palm, Maggie, and Penny MacLeod, and many more. Click here to see the newest guides and click here to see the entire collection.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

A Note about Diagrams
I use color in diagrams to make them as clear as possible.  The primary function of different colored lines is to illustrate a stitch sequence.  For example, layering of colors demonstrates you add them in that order.  They can also provide ideas on how to integrate additional threads (one line for each color).  Or, you can use the same thread for all color lines.  That's where I encourage you to use your imagination for the space you are stitching!