Today’s stitch has a lot going for it. It’s easier than it looks, creates an unusual pattern and, speaking of a lot, has a lot of yellow. And I can’t stop looking at it.

It’s nothing more than a combination of straight and diagonal stitches creating a fascinating step/slide pattern. It’s far more dramatic than I anticipated it would be. The stitched sample is me playing with two plies of Floche (black lines) and Crystal Braid (turquoise lines) on 18M.

I strongly recommend using two different colors, two different finishes, or both as the distinct slide pattern created by the groups of four will get lost if you stitch it in a single thread. (I speak from, um, experience.) Adding the second thread makes all the difference in getting the pattern to pop.

I’m looking forward to using this for an area I want to draw attention to, such as a Santa coat (with Petite Very Velvet for the black lines and a strong Kreinik Metallic for the turquoise lines). It will also make a very interesting roof with two shades of silk floss.

That said, flip the stitch 90° and it almost becomes a different stitch. It looks like birds flying through the sky. This direction will make a great snow-covered sidewalk with two shades of Petite Silk Lame (white and the lightest of blues).

This version intrigues me and I’m looking forward to playing with variations of this direction. There’s something more here, I just know it. I look forward to sharing this with you in a future blog.

This stitch diagram, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here. Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

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 for free the first chapter from my first book which covers 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!