If you don’t live near an LNS (Local Needlework Shop) you may find yourself shopping on-line out of necessity. For many of us though, visiting a needlework shop is a treat to be savored.
Much of the time threads and other supplies can be ordered from that same store and I admit that I do this most of the time myself.
I like to visit my LNS to pick threads. Sometimes when I’m designing a project I can, and do, shop my stash. At other times my stash is lacking in the threads or colors I need.
That was my situation yesterday. I needed threads for the next two 25 stitches samplers (sign up for 25 More Backgrounds here). The samplers are based on shades of Watercolours and I wasn’t inspired by my current stash of this thread. I wanted one color with a fall feeling and a second with light summery colors.
Once these were chosen, I needed additional threads to be background and accent colors. This is where a great shop really shines.
For my piece in addition to the Watercolours, other threads were needed. These included several accents, 2 background threads, and a poison color are needed. Because the background needs two threads the same color with contrasting textures, I began there. The previous samplers used Vineyard Silk & Vineyard Merino, I thought I’d look there again and maybe consider the new strandable Merino.
Unhappily in some colors the new thread wasn’t available, in other colors the wool and silk didn’t match well. There is no way shopping on-line could have told me this, even if the site had pictures. Back and forth I went, looking and comparing until I found a good set of colors.
From this foundation I continued to look around the store picking accent colors and considering what was in my stash that could be added.
Without the ability to compare threads, too look at the whole color range and to see the group of threads together, I could not have gotten this palette together. And, in fact, I have none of these threads in my stash.
Next time you are thinking about visiting your LNS don’t neglect them as a place to plan your projects.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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