Oriental Border – Free Needlepoint Sampler

It has a very dramatic look, but in reality this wide border is just a single stitch, Upright Oriental, with the thread colors changed. It can also be the basis of a very cool mini-sock,below.

For this border you will use:

• multi-color thread
• main accent color (blue)
• minor accent color (pink)

This border is 27 threads wide. You will need to count down 13 threads to make the line of Uproght Milanese that is in the center. Use your centering line and put the shortest stitch of the Milanese 13 threads down and in the center, using the multi-colored thread. Make the row of Milanese using this thread across the width of the border.

The sequence of colors is the same on both sides. Going from the center to the outside of the border, the sequence is:

• main accent color (blue Silk & Ivory)
• multi-colo
• second accent color (pink Very Velvet)
• multi-color

The chart for the border is below.

To turn this chart into the mini-sock pictured, pick a family of five shades of thread (I used Persian Wool). The border is turned to be vertical instead of horizontal. Stitch the border, starting with the darkest shade in the center and working out to the lightest on the edges.

Fill the remainder of the sock with the same or another stitch using the background thread (I used JL Walsh’s Silk/Wool).

Come back next week for another great border in our free sampler.