Not knitting! Emily Peacock Cross Stitch kit

When I was little, I loved counted cross stitch. I loved carefully following a diagram, and turning a blank sheet of fabric into a picture. I loved how complex shapes could be made from lots of tiny squares, and how the texture of the fabric could be completely changed as each square was replaced with a stitch. And I loved the calming effect of carefully putting the needle through the fabric, again, and again, and again.

 

But I hated how quick most of the available kits were to finish - an embroidered card or small picture could be done in an afternoon - which meant that my pocket money went too quickly on them. Pocket money that I would much rather spend on books. And as I got older and my tastes developed, I hated how twee almost all the commercially available kits were. So the hobby got dropped.

Then earlier this year, my cousin came to stay for a weekend. We sat down to watch a film, and I reached into my bag and got out my lace knitting. She saw me, and ran to her room, returning with her cross stitch. We sat and watched the film, stitching, and swigging margaritas (our mutual grandmother, from whom the love of cocktails and needlework comes, must have been beaming down). Over the weekend, I became fascinated by her needlework, and determined to try again. And so the hunt for a nice kit began.

Although things have improved vastly since the last time I'd looked, there was still a limited number of kits for more modern tastes. My cousin was knitting a very funky one from Anchor - but it had a Union Jack motif, as did almost everything I could find that I liked (I was hunting shortly before the Royal Wedding). The Union Jack isn't quite such a neutral motif in Scotland as it is in England, and I didn't want a flag for a sofa cushion.

Which is how I ended up on the Emily Peacock website. If you watched Kirsty's homemade home her designs might be familiar - all bold lettering and bright colours, but not a flag in sight. Her kits are expensive - about £60 a throw - but they're like nothing else that's available right now. They looked like both a great craft project, and an end result I'd actually want in my home.

I ummed and ahed over them - that's a lot of money - until my parents asked me what I wanted for my 30th birthday. More uming and ahing. But I wanted something that would last - something that I would look back on and think "I got that when I turned 30". Suddenly, the kits were within reach. And, with the link to childhood hobbies, and my gin-swilling grandmother, it felt right. My parents got me the "Hug" and "Kiss" pair of kits, and my in-laws (who also spoil me rotten) got me the Rob Ryan collaboration, "Give me work to last the rest of my life" - a lovely sentiment for a crafter.

So this summer I've been working on the first of my kits, "Hug". It was great to do - satisfying, but easier than lace knitting, and it took AGES, which for me is a good thing, and meant in fact it was great value in terms of £/hour of fun. The rich colours were a pleasure to work with, and the clear instructions guided me along even though I hadn't sewed a cross stitch for 15 years. I've finally finished it, and the result is below.

I'm looking forward to making the next one, and turning them into a matching pair of cushions. I've picked up my knitting needles for a bit - I'm a monogamous crafter and can't have more than one project on the go - so it'll be a few months till I start again, and a few months more till I finish. But I can't wait. This set of 30th birthday presents look likely to keep me going until my next birthday and beyond.