Today’s band will get you started with “white work,” which is my personal favorite. In this design you are either working with ecru fibers (floss and pearl cotton) on ecru linen or white fibers on white linen. Other projects can be done in any shade you like, as long as the fibers and fabric are nearly the same color.

I have been writing stitch directions since 1981 and I still manage, more often than I like, to leave out some detail! Of course, back then blogging wasn’t around, so I have to say that I like this easy way to correct my errors. In this case, I omitted a fiber you will need in addition to the ones I listed yesterday: #12 pearl cotton (ecru or white) and you will want a #22 tapestry needle for the bulkier pearl cotton.

Wow! I just realized that next year is the 30th anniversary of Jean Farish Needleworks!

Okay, now on to the next band, Smyrna Cross. Once you finish this band, your sampler will be 34 across and 18 down.

As the chart indicates, you will leave two threads unworked between the 1st and 2nd bands. (Each square = 2 threads on the fabric.) Smyrna Crosses share holes with the ones next to it. You will have a total of 17 Smyrna Crosses, spanning the width of 34 "squares" on the chart, each one stitched "over four." Most right-hand stitchers stitch this row right-to-left. (I haven’t left the “lefties” out ... see note at the end.)

Use one strand of #12 Ecru Pearl Cotton. In general, pearl cotton is used as a single fiber. When a stitcher wants a heavier stitch, move to the next higher weight, which would be #8. For this stitch, #12 is just right.

On my stitch diagrams, the dot indicates the beginning of the stitch, the arrow shows the direction of the stitch and the number shows the sequence.

This Smyrna Cross covers an area of four threads wide and four threads high. Begin with a traditional cross stitch, but cover an area of four threads by four threads.

Next, make an upright stitch in the center. Be sure to stitch bottom to top.

To finish one Smyrna Cross, make a horizontal stitch, stitching left to right. When stitching a row of Smyrna Crosses, especially if they share holes, it is essential to stitch the horizontal bar left-to-right. This gives the top a soft, rounded look.

Once you have a row of stitches started, you will see how each one shares holes with the one before it.

Left handed tips: make the bottom layer, the cross stitch, just as you normally do (except make it four threads by four threads). If you make the first two stitches bottom-to-top, then make the vertical stitch bottom-to-top also. The last (horizontal) stitch just needs to be executed in the opposite direction of the progression of stitches. If it is most comfortable when stitching this row in a left-to-right progression, then this horizontal stitch should be made with a right-to-left-motion.

Please let your friends know about this free chart and stitch directions!