Ever since June, when I shipped my "Nordic
Knitting" wall hanging off to Just CrossStitch magazine for publication,
I've been looking forward to the release of the February 2021 issue. When I
first got a peek at it on the Annie's website a few weeks ago, I was completely
surprised when I saw my design on the cover! It's a real honor, especially
since the issue is filled with beautiful winter and Valentine's Day projects. So
how did this little wall hanging make its way to the pages of Just CrossStitch?
It's a short story that was a few years in the making.
I've always loved the look of traditional Scandinavian knitting patterns. Although I can knit, I've never mastered colorwork. For a long time, I'd been thinking about trying to translate the look of Nordic knitting to cross-stitch. I eventually gave it try and, working with a palette of red, gray, and white, charted an arrangement of snowflakes and diamonds that resembled a knitted scarf. To keep with the knitting theme, I incorporated a pair of cross-stitched knitting needles and a strand of yarn into the design. (In case you're wondering, I use PatternMaker Pro software to chart cross-stitch designs. Soooo much more efficient than the graph paper and colored pencil method.) After much fiddling, I came up with a design I really liked. And then I saved it in my files and moved on to other projects.
Last year, when the Just CrossStitch editors
sent out the submissions call for the February 2021 issue, I thought my Nordic
design would work well with the issue's winter theme. I was thrilled when the
design was accepted, but the editors wanted me to make some changes so it would
work as a wall hanging. After a bit more fiddling, I proposed a revised chart that
got the go-ahead from the editors.
If you're a cross-stitcher, you know that it's a very time-intensive craft. For this reason, magazine editors usually give designers the option of having their projects completed in-house. Because the finishing on this wall hanging was going to be unique, I agreed to make the project myself. (Yes, I'm a bit of a control freak.) In the end, it was definitely worth it! The stitching on this design is quite straightforward, so it involved more time than skill. It was the finishing that required a bit more creativity. I had a lot of fun figuring out how to attach the finished piece to a double-pointed knitting needle (when I come up with a theme, I commit to it!). The fringed tassels, which are made from embroidery floss, are a fun finishing touch, don't you think?
Now that you know my "Nordic Knitting" design's story, you can stitch one for yourself. Click here to order a copy of the February 2021 issue of Just CrossStitch. Happy stitching!
