Cathy Reavy released another three stitch videos on YouTube today and as I was a day off I decided to stitch them straight away.

First to be stitched was Turkey Rug stitch, we’ve already done velvet stitch (the one that looks more like a shag pile carpet on mine!!) this gives a similar effect but I think it’s easier to do. Cathy suggested we made a triangle shape which could then be turned into a Christmas tree with a couple of extra stitches to make a trunk. The stitch gives you lots of secured loops which can then be trimmed as much as you like. I used three strands of DMC thread, rather than a perle, thinking it would separate and end up even fluffier…

Well mine looks more like Spikey the Hedgehog, so I left him without a trunk!

At the other side of the photo is Bokhara Couching. This is thread couched with the couching stitch making a diagonal pattern, so we’ve made a basket shape and during the next ring we will return to put some flowers in it.

The final stitch sample this week was raised cup stitch, it makes those pretty little pink flowers below…but it’s quite fiddly. You start off stitching a basic triangle and then knots are stitched onto the threads and then more knots on top of the knots – a bit like a twisted crochet sort of…fiddly…I finished them with a french knot in the centre and a split stitch stem. I stitched these in Anchor perle no.8 as Cathy recommended not using stranded cotton. I’ve a box of perle which I’ve rarely used, they always look a bit shiny, but actually I rather like them now! I think the cup stitch makes a pretty flower, I can imagine them in shades of white as gypsophilia, but boy would that take time!

With these three stitches we have now completed the third ring. This one has been mainly filler stitches, the next one is apparently outline stitches. It’s filling up nicely and it does look pretty. I like the way we are stitching something, like a sprig of flowers (or a Christmas tree that looks like a hedgehog!!) I find it much more helpful than just learning stitches out of context. If anyone fancies joining in the Stitchwheel Sampler all the videos are on YouTube.