How to Adapt Needlepoint – Step 2

Step 2 – What size will it be and what kind of canvas will it be stitched on?

I want to keep this to a manageable size. I don’t want to be stitching on this for the rest of the year.

Looking at the top and bottom bands, there is a row of “boxes” with a large X in each one. So I started with that.

If I made each one 1.5” square, then I could do the whole rug based on that. The bands across the top, bottom, sides, and bands that cross up and down and across will all be 1.5” wide – that’s 27 stitches if I use 18 count canvas.

There are 9 boxes across the bottom with 3 boxes under each section where you have the large yellow and black areas. So I plan to make the yellow and black sections 4.5” wide and 4” tall. I did a quick drawing on graph paper and colored in the yellow and black sections, and not much else. I wanted to get an idea of how it would look and the approximate size of the rug on 18 count.

I know for sure that the X band will be 13.5” tall (9 squares that are 1.5″ square). The length of this quick rendering is 21” long. I know that’s not quite accurate for several reasons.

I forgot to make the black section twice as wide as the yellow. This will add about a half inch or more to the length.

I haven’t played with the black and white sections yet, so I don’t know how many stitches I need to plan for. There are four of these sections above and below the yellow bands. And there are small bands that look like zigzags above and below the yellow. That will add another few stitches. When that’s worked out, it should be about 23 inches long. I won’t be stitching the rug for a few weeks, so this could all change.

Now Step 2 is more or less complete. This is always a rough estimate of size. As I do my practice stitching later in the development stage, this will become more exact.