After sunny days in the garden (weeding) and long chatty lunches with Jerry because we are both on leave my routine has been delightfully interrupted. We are having a great time simply hanging out together and the break is doing me the world of good. So much so, I plan on taking another week off blogging. I could not let the challenge slip so here is the stitch of the week. I will still be around to approve comments and the like just not blogging.

This week the stitch for the Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge is Rice Stitch and its variation Boss Stitch (The directions on how to do this stitch are below)

At first glance it looks a little boring as it’s often thought of as a background stitch but there is so much you can do with it. It is known as a canvas stitch background because it can be easily worked and builds up quickly. This stitch is also known as crossed corners and William and Mary stitch.

Don’t let the fact that it is and canvas stitch put you off however because many of the canvas stitches can be worked on Aida (like all the samples illustrated) or any even weave fabric with great effect. If you do not have even weave fabric try using a product called Waste Canvas.

You can really have fun with this stitch particularly if you change threads. You can use one thread or colour for the large cross and another thread of colour for the corner tie downs. Swap between thick and thin, metallic and dull or explore colour combinations. Change the size of your stitches and you can always add beads or French knots to really give the stitch a contrast of texture. It is one of those simple stitches that can produce interesting results.

Square Boss Stitch

Square Boss stitch is also known as raised knot stitch. Don’t ask me why as I don’t know. However it is so similar to Rice stitch I have decided to group these two stitches together as many of the experiments you can do with Rice stitch you can also do with Square Boss. Square boss starts with a larger cross stitch and the tie stitches are tucked further to the crossed threads in the middle. This means that the pattern established varies from Rice stitch but it is really a variety.

I hope you enjoy experimenting with both these stitches. That’s it for this week. Remember to swing by and leave a comment preferably on this page, so that people can follow the link and see what you have done. Don’t be a duffer and forget your URL. There is a Take a stitch Tuesday flickr group which you can browse