You are new to needlepoint...
We are often asked this question and are glad to answer it. There are too few needlepoint enthusiasts, and we're delighted to welcome you to the team.
Here are some beginner needle pointers
Do you have a local needlepoint shop (LNS)? If so, talk to the woman in charge. Perhaps a local chapter of the American Needlepoint Guild (https://www.needlepoint.org/)? If not, please consider the following tips.
Canvas
- Canvases. Canvases come in all sorts of colors (doesn't matter/won't show) and sizes. Sizes are "by the inch," so many intersections per inch: 10, 13, 14, and 18 are the most common. Don't be intimidated by high counts; they are just like the resolution on a screen. They mean you can get a more intricate design, but all of them are fun to work on.
- Hand-painted. It's the most expensive but precise, and if you find a favorite artist, it's fun.
- Machine-printed. It is not as precise; you might need to fiddle a stitch to make it work, but it will, and they are considerably cheaper. Consider shopping on Etsy, eBay, estate sales, etc, for the most affordable entry.
- Charted. For these, you buy plain canvas and a printed chart and do lots of counting.
- Make it up yourself. Which is exactly as it sounds.
Other supplies
- Thread comes in all sizes and all materials. Wool, silk, cotton, acrylic... if you're new to fiber arts, get thee to a craft store and feel them, slide them along your fingers to find what you like. Some will tell you to find something easy to find so you can replenish stock, but if you find something you love, you'll find out to find it. If you can find this subreddit, you know your way around the internet...
- Tapestry needle: You want a "tapestry." These needles aren't sharp because you don't want to pierce the canvas; you want to go through the holes.
- Sharp Scissors with fine points.
- Use a project bag or something similar to keep everything together. Many of us will tell you that keeping your items handy, clean, and together is an enormous part of the fun.
Optionals
- Needle-threader. Some of us need the help of a doohicky to put the thread through the eye.
- Stretcher bars (and tacks). When you're done, you'll send your work to a 'finisher' (the person who will take your finished canvas and make it into whatever is next) (you can do this yourself, but it's a chore) depending on how you work your canvas may end up wonky, that's fine, your finisher knows what to do, but some of us like putting the canvas on stretcher bars (or a scroll frame etc, google these terms) to keep the canvas straight or find it more manageable. You can also mount these bars onto a
- Floor or table frame. An object that holds the canvas so you can work with both hands.
- Needleminder or magnets. You can keep the needle and threader somewhere when you take a break for a sip of tea, sherry, or bourbon, depending on your choice.
- Thread-laying tool: When you use fine floss, you'll want something to keep your threads flat and happy. This tool isn't for every fiber.
Finishing
A finisher makes all the difference. They are costly, but why put in all your work and then use some nasty finisher that will still take your money but not deliver a worthwhile product? I suggest you find someone you can talk to, even if they live on the other side of the country. Pick up the phone and speak to them.
Needlepoint, like any art or craft, takes resources.
Time is one; to get good at it, you'll need patience and forgive yourself. It's your work, and when you're done, no one can see the original canvas, so use your judgment, take your time, and you'll only get better.
People will say needlepoint is expensive, but I don't think so. People are okay with paying for what they like; you can spend as much or as little as you want, depending on where you are. Yes, a kit from Ehrman or Elizabeth Bradley might cost a few hundred dollars but remember that is just the initial cost. Once you own it, you can work on it for months and then spread that cost out (plus finishing), and it's just a one-time expense.
You'll want to get a subscription to Spotify or Audible because you can't read a physical book and needlepoint. But the nice thing is, you can talk and listen while you needlepoint, so you can do it with other fiber artists. Knitters can put their stuff in a smaller bag, but it doesn't take much more effort for you to join a group.
Yes, you can take your supplies on flights and trains (check TSA rules about scissors, but most needlepoint scissors and needles are smaller than the 4" rule)
The Royal School of Needlework and other physical and online resources can teach stitches. A real, live person is best, but it is not required.
Links that might be helpful [edited to include a link for southpaws\ and a direct link to the RSN Stitch bank]
https://www.greystoneneedlepoint.com/blogs/news/a-can-do-how-to-for-lefties