In the 80's, when I first learned to embroider, I learned counted cross-stitch. My mom, aunts, sisters, and cousins were all into counted cross stitch, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I never did anything too exciting with it - some Christmas ornaments, a few self-designed little gifts, and stuff like that. I grew weary of it quickly - and then chucked it. I became, I must admit with shame, an "embroidery snob." If it wasn't surface embroidery - free-style, hand embroidery - I wasn't interested. I swore off all even-weave, counted techniques, and anything that smacked of "aida" cloth and DMC stranded cotton.

I didn't know much when I took the oath, and I have no idea why I reacted so violently against counted cross-stitch. It wasn't until my sister on the East Coast showed me a sampler she did on even-weave linen, using some counted cross stitch embellished with a bunch of other stitches, that I realized that one doesn't have to pursue "exclusive" interests.

Certainly, now, we have a greater variety in available goods for counted techniques - or so it seems to me. In the 80's, I wasn't in control of my own pocket-book, so I only saw what a kid would see at a local shop. And we didn't have the internet to special order just the right fabric!

While I don't spend a lot of time on counted cross stitch myself, I do have friends who create beautiful pieces and who love it. They find it relaxing and theraputic. I've spend a bit of time on Hardanger, which is "griddy," but other than that, I was pretty sure I'd never commit myself to grids again.... Then, in the last few years especially, a "new" old technique resurfaced, and I find that I have the grid bug - it's all because of blackwork.

Blackwork is really stunning stuff! It's relatively simple to execute, as it relies on few stitches - though the finished product generally looks pretty complex. Despite it's name, blackwork isn't necessarily always done in black - today, you can find kits and patterns for blackwork in all kinds of colors, depicting rural scenes, animals, people - you name it. In the more traditional styles, it employs not only the Holbein stitch (double running stitch), but plenty of other stitches as well to add a "curvilinear" element to the design.

Squizzing around the internet, I've found some links for blackwork that are helpful.

At The Blackwork Embroidery Archives, you can find a heap of really nice patterns by Paula Kate Marmor. She also has a neat gallery.

A Blackwork Embroidery Primer by Rissa Peace Root gives a nice, readable history of blackwork. She also includes information on how to get started with blackwork, and a good links directory.

An Introduction to Blackworkby the American Needlework Guild is a great page for pictures, if you want to get an idea of what blackwork can look like and how it can be used.

Tanja Berlin has several blackwork kits available, and, as usual, her stuff is exquisite. Check out her blackwork etui box - what a great Christmas present that would make!

Moonshadow Stitchery has a free Christmas blackwork design in PDF. It's kind of cute - a cat with a mouse on its head, and the mouse has a Christmas hat on. Click on Sample Charts in the left column to get to the right page.

Stitch On Line from the Skinner Sisters has a really thorough article on blackwork, including the history and lots of pictures.

I have to admit, I'm considering branching away from the "traditional" approach to blackwork... with the availability of waste canvas (if I can find a small enough weave), I think the technique would look neat on velvet, to outline cuffs or a neckline for a child's Christmas dress. That's on my list of things to try before Christmas. Maybe it won't work - but there's no harm experimenting!

Hey, the grid bug's not such a bad thing! I'll have some samples of Holbein stitch up soon...