Olivia Storm

There is a whole host of reasons why people of all ages take up cross stitch and other forms of needlework as a hobby; these include:

Relaxation

Millions of people go to work every day and come home a lot more stressed than when they went out in the morning. Cross stitch is undeniably a relaxing hobby that can be done quietly while watching the TV or listening to your favourite radio program.

Once you get the hang of counting you will be able to watch TV, hold a conversation and still stitch away! All of the tension and stress of the day just flows away with each new stitch and at the end of the evening you can easily see the progress you have made.

Variety

It is extremely unlikely that you will ever run out of designs to cross stitch! There are literally thousands of different designs on the internet and there are a number of specialised monthly magazines that contain brand new designs in each issue for people who don't have access to the internet.

You can even design your own patterns so that you can easily create something totally unique to you. You can have two or three projects on the go at the same time so you can switch between them if one starts to get a bit tiresome. Very few hobbies can give you this degree of choice and variety.

Expense

Compared to some other hobbies such as pottery or painting, the basic equipment you will need to produce a beautiful piece of cross stitch is relatively inexpensive. Beginners can buy cross stitch kits that contain everything they will need to complete the project so that there are no hidden expenses later on.

However, for more advanced cross stitchers who are adept at choosing threads and fabrics, there are cheap and even free designs and charts on a huge number of websites which decreases the overall cost even more.

The end result

The end result of any cross stitch design regardless of whether it is a small basic picture of a teddy bear or a huge and very intricate alphabet sampler will be a beautiful addition to any wall and the recipient, if it has been made as a gift, will be overjoyed with it.

A cross stitched picture makes a very unique and personal gift that nobody else can really recreate and the fact that most basic cross stitch kits don't cost the earth is another added bonus.

Portability

This may seem like a strange thing to say but your cross stitch will normally be portable and so you can literally take it anywhere with you. For example you can take it on the train or bus to work, you can do a few stitches in the park during your lunch break and you can take it round to your friends when you pop in for a cup of tea, especially if she is a cross stitcher as well.

Some hobbies such as pottery are restricted to a workshop but cross stitch isn't; you may even find fellow cross stitchers as you stitch away in public.

Continuing Challenge

Beginner cross stitchers quickly become advanced cross stitchers with a bit of hard work and dedication. However, until you reach the stage where you can purchase a chart and then buy all the threads and material needed to complete the project, there are thousands of complete kits available.

You will find that over a short period of time you will pick up new techniques and find easier ways of doing something that will ultimately improve your cross stitching and even the most advanced cross stitchers will admit to still learning new things occasionally.

These are just a few of the reasons why cross stitching is such a great hobby but the main one has to be that it is just so incredibly enjoyable and satisfying to do.