Hello! My new craft for February was punch needling. Learning how to punch needle has literally been on my crafting to-do list for years now. So many times I would see someone’s work on my Instagram feed, it would stop me mid-scroll and I would just appreciate the design or color combo used. Needless to say, I was very excited to give it a try!
For my project, I decided to use a pattern from The Urban Acres (@theurbanacres), a company I’ve admired for awhile. I followed her recommendations and bought myself an Oxford Punch Needle (so glad I did!). I also used monk’s cloth, Impeccable yarn by Loops & Threads (found at craft stores) and a heavy duty embroidery hoop.
Here’s a quick Q&A of my punch needling adventure:
Why did you decide to do this craft/skill?
Fiber arts and embroidery are so beautiful and it truly feels like the possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can create. Punch Needle seemed to me like a good place to get my feet wet in the world of embroidery. I’ve always been drawn to the style and knew from the many tutorials and process videos I’ve consumed that it’s totally doable as a beginner!
What did you want to get out of this project?
More than anything, I wanted to come away feeling like I was successful with my first project and pattern. I really had high hopes! Even though I followed a pattern, I decided to use my own color palette and slightly alter the final shape (I went with a circle to fit in an embroidery hoop vs. the square in the pattern) and was excited to see how it would turn out.
Did you enjoy the process?
Very much so! I had some difficulty in the beginning because I was not using the correct hoop. So important! More experienced punchers probably have a gripper frame or use a canvas, but I was trying to use what I had on hand. Unfortunately for me, I learned the hard way that I really need a sturdy frame to keep the cloth stretched tight. After a trip back to the craft store to get a non-slip heavy duty hoop and I was in business. There’s some trial and error as you get going in punching. The biggest lesson I learned was to always make sure my yarn had lots of slack. Even the slightest tension kept my stitches from staying in place. About half way through I had the hang of it and found that I could very easily sit down and watch Netflix while punching away. It is indeed true that it’s a very easy technique to learn and I thoroughly enjoyed it. For now, I will probably just keep it on the hoop and hang it up somewhere in the house as wall art. At some point I can see myself turning it into a pillow too.
Would you do it again?
For sure! I experimented some with using the flat side of the stitch vs the loopy. In my project, the centers of the flowers are loopy (or raised) while the rest of it is flat. This is achieved by punching on the back side vs. the front. I would love to try experimenting with more patterns, using different types of yarns and textures. For now, I’m really happy with the final piece!
Happy Punch Needling, friends!
– Katie