Stitchboard Admin message #2
Re: I think I need some help!
February 17, 2017 at 4:12:21 AM  (in response to Piddy message #1)
 
Ali,

If you're thinking of crocheting a pattern in embroidery floss, please be careful.  Since embroidery floss is so small, you'll end up with a very large number of stitches.

If you're thinking of doing cross stitch on crochet with embroidery floss, the important thing is to be sure your fibers aren't completely different.  Yarn will usually stretch; embroidery floss doesn't.  Also, if you're combining two different fibers the care may be very different.

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Stitchboard Admin message #4
Re: I think I need some help!
February 18, 2017 at 4:38:13 AM  (in response to Piddy message #3)
 
Ali,

That sounds exhausting!

My suggestion would be to take a step back and consider what you want to accomplish before doing any more work on it.  I understand why you'd prefer embroidery floss, considering the number of colors available, but frankly, crocheting with that many colors - and so tiny - would drive me nuts!

Perhaps rethinking the project would be a better idea here.  Because I'm also thinking about anything I've done with embroidery floss or similar cotton, and honestly, it's really a tough thread to work with, as in very unforgiving (can feel like crocheting with cardboard!), not all that flexible and not soft like an afghan should be.  If you're going to use it for a wall hanging, that's better, but as an afghan that's going to be used...does it really feel comfortable, like something you'd want held against your skin?

How about this instead...you could purchase a cotton yarn in a neutral or dark shade, or perhaps a shade that's closest to your main color, maybe in a worsted weight...crochet the entire afghan in that color only...and cross stitch the design on.  You can save yourself a lot of trouble that way.  Then your stitches don't have to be tiny...and no bobbins required!  You could use a suitably soft cotton for the afghan (just be sure to care for it properly; cotton tends to wear more easily) and you technically won't have to cross stitch any squares that are in a color that's already the correct one (perhaps you could use a suitable border color for the afghan itself, so you won't have to stitch a border and can leave some stitches on the image itself blank, as well, as one would do with a regular cross stitch project).

You could then work your afghan in a Tunisian stitch that's more square than rectangular, then send your image through as a Tunisian pattern (important to work a gauge swatch here).

If you think you can stick with the whole thing as bobbins from start to finish, that's great, but if it's going to end up a UFO anyway, it may not be worth continuing.

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Stitchboard Admin message #6
Re: I think I need some help!
February 19, 2017 at 3:22:58 AM  (in response to Piddy message #5)
 
Oh, okay...I'd misunderstood and thought this was the same as the afghan project you'd mentioned...my apologies!

I would still strongly suggest rethinking this one.  Though it's not going to be used as an afghan, it will be a lot to work with 60 colors on bobbins for an entire piece, and if you're having trouble now, is it going to get easier later on?  I would still say to get some kind of cotton, perhaps then a size 10 cotton in a neutral or background tone, perhaps, such as an off-white or black, crochet the entire thing in single crochet or Tunisian, make your graph to match the stitch you used and then cross stitch on it.  You can still cross stitch on single crochet, and it will be far easier!  I can't even imagine working 60 colors in single crochet on bobbins!

Another thing is that your piece may end up misshapen with all of the color changes.  With a smaller amount of color changes, it won't be noticeable, but if you're constantly weaving in ends, it may make things wonky, especially on something so small.

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Stitchboard Admin message #8
Re: I think I need some help!
February 20, 2017 at 5:24:06 AM  (in response to Piddy message #7)
 
You're very welcome!    Glad you've found the way you want to do this. 

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Stitchboard Admin message #10
Re: I think I need some help!
September 16, 2017 at 5:06:06 AM  (in response to Piddy message #9)
 
Excellent! Love it so far...please keep us apprised of your progress!

Thanks for posting!

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Stitchboard Admin message #13
Re: I think I need some help!
April 14, 2018 at 2:11:48 AM  (in response to Piddy message #12)
 
Piddy,

I'm so glad you stuck with it, too!

It's easy to get discouraged with any project, so one that was very complicated and difficult would be even easier to get discouraged with.

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