Oh, look, another pandemic hobby started out of boredom. I originally thought about starting needle point or embroidery but ended up picking up cross stitching after spending a lot of time on Etsy looking at kits for beginners. My mom has cross stitched for years, so I knew I could have her help me if I got stuck, but I wanted something to do on my own.
I’ve been itching to do some sort of craft with my hands, and although I know how to crochet, I can really only make a scarf and I feel like crocheting is more of a winter activity. I’ve been painting here and there over the last year and also coloring in adult coloring books. So why not add another hobby? There are no rules anymore, anyway.
So I ordered a cross stitch kit on Etsy, and the pattern was Bernie Sanders from the inauguration sitting in his folding chair with his mittens. Obviously my first cross stitch ever had to be what might be the best meme of 2021. There was a brief moment when I thought the cross stitch was going to get lost—the mail is still experiencing weird bouts of delays—and suffer the same fate of the yoga mat I ordered from Amazon last April. However, the package didn’t get lost and it arrived in the beginning of March.
My mom helped me get it started and lent me some of her cross stitching things, like a metal sheet to place the pattern on and a magnetizing bar to put over the line of stitches on the pattern where I’m currently working. It ultimately took me about a month to complete the cross stitch. I’d work on it at night for an half hour or hour, and most of the time, it lined up with us watching Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune, which felt very old person to me. And I only bled once; I wasn’t paying attention to the needle and pricked my right thumb. But no blood made it onto the material.
The finished product! My mom helped me with the back of the cross stitch itself; we cut the material so it was about an inch from the hoop and then hot glued a piece of felt on top to finish it off. I still don’t know where I’m going to hang it up, so for now it’s leaning against some books on a shelf in my room.
I already bought another kit, and the pattern is of ice cream cones. I started it last week and will work on it like I did Bernie. It’s not something I can do for hours because it’s a lot of staring at little squares. You can also just buy digital patterns from Etsy, which I might do in the future, but for now, I like buying the kits because they come with everything I need: fabric, hoop, thread, pattern, and needles.
What’s a hobby you’ve picked up during the pandemic?
Strikeouts + Sprinkles 
Becky it’s soooo cute!! You did such a great job!
My mom always says you can tell the skill level of a cross stitcher by the back of the piece 😂 mine is usually a massive hot mess of a birds nest. But I’m getting better!
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed cross stitching!! Its so fun and unique!
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Your cross-stitch is very good. Idk what character he is….is he random? Based on someone you know? I’m curious.
My first cross stitch was messy and I gave up with it. I ended up giving it to a friend to finish and told her to keep it because she did 80% of it, and she had to correct my stitches. I’m not talented at these things.
P.S. We also watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy on weeknights.
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He’s Senator Bernie Sanders from the state of Vermont. He went to the presidential inauguration in January and the pose he’s sitting in on the cross stitch was similar to how he was sitting at the inauguration. If you google “Bernie Sanders mittens” you can see pictures from the day and the meme it turned into.
I’ve learned that cross stitching does take some patience and it can get messy. I had a few issues with the thread and knots.
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Oh haha. I feel silly now for not knowing that. Despite being Canadian, I should have recognized who he was. My family is very pro-Trump (even though they are Canadians and don’t live in the US) and I seldom follow politics.
It’s cool that you are making cross-stitches with interesting designs that aren’t mainstream, yet still recognizable. Which cross-stitch do you want to do next?
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I’m currently working on a pattern with three ice cream cones, perfect for spring and summer 🙂
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[…] has found a new hobby during the pandemic (which I almost wrote as “a new pandemic during the hobby,” because … […]
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[…] were snacks. And the best meme probably ever: Bernie Sanders and his mittens (which I later did a cross stitch […]
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