Needlepoint Instead Of Cross Stitch

For the moment, I am working on a counted canvas project by DebBee's Designs called Rice Pudding, which uses many, many variations of the rice stitch.  Since I think the rice stitch is a handsome stitch, whatever its variations, I knew as soon as I saw this booklet in the On Line Show last Spring that I had to stitch it.  I also bought A Bump in the Rhodes, based on the Rhodes stitch, another very handsome stitch.  No doubt, I'll get to that one eventually.  But I expect Rice Pudding to keep me occupied for a very long time.  It's a reasonably straightforward design but it repeats as a mirror image from left to right, so there is lots and lots of work to do.

 Now I have worked painted canvases in needlepoint and I have worked charted counted cross-stitch.  But it's been a very long time since I've worked a counted canvas project like Rice Pudding.  And, I have to admit, my first glance at the fold-out full chart at the back of the booklet left me just a mite intimidated.  But the directions in the booklet are quite clear and I am managing pretty well, with a minimum of flipping the pages back and forth.  I am loving everything about Rice Pudding: the color way, the stitch variations, the perle floss, the novelty of working with canvas rather than my habitual linen.

Admittedly, I am not very far along with this project at this point but I am just happy to be enjoying my stitching again.  Here's a progress photo or two just to give you a sense of what the piece is like.  Above is a photo of progress to date and to the right is a close up photo of two variations of the rice stitch: the dark brown is the standard rice stitch and the cappucino is a double crossed version.