Earrings for the Season: Needlepoint or Counted X-Stitch

This is one of those almost mindless activities that could keep me happy and busy for the whole day if I don't make myself put it down. I just call it "doodling on canvas," as I never use graph paper for designing. That takes time to color in little squares, and it doesn't give me a true picture of the way it will look on the correct size canvas anyway.

These little pictures will work on size 18 needlepoint canvas (you wouldn't want to use larger mesh for earrings) or 18 count Aida for counted X-stitch. For the X-stitch, just make the little X on the square wherever there is a dot on the needlepoint canvas - it's a very simple transition.

One converts X-stitch charts to needlepoint the same way - where there is a colored square, just make a tent stitch on the canvas.The four earrings in the top photo were drawn onto canvas on the odd number - 11 or 13, so that the heart would work, as it has to have a center stitch. These are small enough that one could add still another row of border.

The next photo shows the earrings a bit larger - by one or two threads, as they must be kept in the 3/4" diameter range to be attractive. They may be left square, or with the corners taken off, as in the kpicture of the Christmas set in the previous post.

Again, these are either odd or even count - the even count is necessary for the little blue flower (the red one in the previous post), as the center is a Smyrna Cross, as are the petals around it.

I have used Sharpie ultra-fine point permanent drawing pens to do this, as they are not for commercial purposes, so the drawing pens are fine - just not very pretty.

You might use beads, sparkling fibers of all kinds - just use your own imagination and make something special. I don't know how to finish needlepoint, but I've seen people on other blogs do this - and the earrings simply involve backings one can purchase at craft stores, I believe. Anyway - have fun with this! They are quick to do, so there is still time to wear them for a Valentine party.