Slow Stitching

Slow stitching is just the right speed, right now. A half hour, an hour at a time. Just enough time to unwind from the self-inflicted pressure to scramble up, as quickly and nimbly as possible, the steep learning curve of my job at the art center. Yet brief enough to remain enjoyable and not feel like a chore.

As anticipated, I was unable to find a Sashiko needle within a 40 mile radius of my house. What I did use to mend the area of broken stitches on the crotch of my jeans is a size 7 quilter's basting needle. At 2.25 inches (6 cm), I could load a bunch of stitches on it before pulling the thread through the denim. The needle does have a lot of flex, and it appears I torqued it into a permanent bend. But, with nothing to compare it to, I can't tell if this is a useful feature or a hindrance. Regardless, I stitched perpendicular to the frayed stitches, employing cotton coated polyester (grey) instead of embroidery cotton (pale blue).

The kitchen rug is slowly growing, with additions made at the pace of 4 rows at a sitting. It will finish up as a short runner for in front of the stove, an area of high foot traffic. I included another close up because when I first shared the pattern, I photographed the wrong side of the knit. Whoops. The rug consists of a wide seed stitch border with alternating textural stripes of stockinette and the ladder-like pattern.