I have long had an obsession with thread. It goes back to childhood. I have always stitched. It started with the little cardboard stitching cards with the punched holes and the yarn to stitch the outline. I soon as I could thread a needle, I was well on the way. I would get rag bedsheets and my mother's spools of sewing thread and use that to create. My mom would sew our clothes so there was a significant amount of thread. I would squirrel it away until she needed it.
When I was about thirteen years old, I stayed with my grandparents for a few weeks that summer. My grandmother and I walked to Ben Franklins. It was there with her I was introduced to Coats and Clark embroidery floss. It was love at first sight! I immediately had an affinity to it. She bought me a dresser cloth, iron on pattern and lavender and black floss. Every time I was at her house, I would make the six block trek to Ben Franklin and buy more. Any color, it didn't matter, I had to have it!
It really didn't matter what kind of thread or string. I would save the string that was tied around cake boxes. I became very adept at untying the knots rather than cutting it, to salvage as much as I could. That string was great for macrame.
Once I graduated college, I needed a relatively inexpensive hobby. It was 1982, and I discovered counted cross stitch. This was for me. In 1982, it was a relatively inexpensive hobby. My obsession with floss stepped up into high gear. I had to have ALL the colors DMC made. Then came the over dyes and I would buy them just because they were pretty. Then Caron Watercolors and Waterlillies and silks...I do restrain myself a little with those....but, I have some.
I started with Aida but, when I overcame the intimidation of linen, I fully embraced it and won't go back. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to stitch on anything else. I guess I am a fabric snob.
I do knit. I really like to buy sock yarn but.......it's just not quite the same. I think I may always have a passion for floss.
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