I am getting reading to stitch the front of the Haunted House. The principle thread for this is Gloriana Lorikeet. This is a variegated wool and is produced in a wide range of colors and hues. I've seen Amy use it for bargello patterns and it works up beautifully. I want to share Amy's tip for stranding this thread, as it is unique. If you are participating in this home study you already have this tip. But I would like to share it with followers and encourage them to purchase some and try it in a project. So here it is.
"(The) Lorikeet can be hard to strip. It is 9 strands of 100% wool and can be slightly felted in the overdying process. On the first 2 or 3 strands to be stripped out of the group, pull about 3" - 4" out of the bundle and then straighten the thread. Repeat this short stripping process rather than trying to pull the entire strip out without straightening or you will get a tangle."
So the front of the house will be like the roof in that it is based on the design and stitch diagram Amy has given us. But you can use your own judgement and creativity when placing some of the light or dark green threads. What this also means is that there is no wrong way to create you house. Each one will be unique to the stitcher and the dye lot. So get both sets of threads needled up and begin. It helps to turn your canvas 1/4 so you can more easily lay your threads.
If you haven't been using a laying tool up to this point, this will be an excellent way to learn, as the front of the house requires us to lay two threads side by side. You can use a BLT, (best laying tool), or a very large needle or pin. Read more about the BLT
here.
Don't get overwhelmed. Just take one window at a time.
