I never imagined I would be bragging about, let alone sharing with pride, an oversized beetle. Yet here we are.
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The stitched sample is a beard stitched with Appleton Wool on 13M, stitched by yours truly forever and a day ago. (Tangent. The hair is a decent example of Double French Knots, which I chat about in Book 1 and the Essentials guide.)
I love Beetle Stitches in their simplest forms (such as today) because it adds interest without overwhelming surrounding areas. The smoothness of the stitch adds a certain elegance. I also love the dressed-up versions, but this stitch is perfect for the beard.
Appleton added a little puff to the beard. It will be adorable to replicate that on a bedspread with Appleton (on 13M) or single-strand silk such as Pepper Pot Silk or Vineyard Silk (on 18M). It will make a fantastic roof with Rainbow Linen. Don’t forget to consider flipping the diagram 90° for a taller version of the stitch. That would be great for clothing with silk floss.
Click on image to see the whimsicalstitch.com Stitch Library on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.
Just a reminder about how to evaluate stitches for size on your project.
As you are auditioning stitches (from any stitch source), count the number of canvas threads on the diagram that match your mesh size. And there you have what an inch of the stitch will look like. Evaluate that against the area where you plan to use the stitch and make your final decision. If you start integrating this step into your stitch selection process, you may be surprised at how many stitches you think are large are much smaller than you realize. (Or, in today’s case, the stitch is much larger than it looks.)
By (sometimes) including this step in my own process, I find I am now integrating much longer stitches than I ever thought I would. I used to think a stitch six rows long was super big. I have very much changed my tune, which has helped me expand my creativity, especially for large-space stitches.
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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, the layering of colors demonstrates you add them in that order. They can also provide ideas on integrating 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!