In case you couldn’t tell from my Instagram account, 2018 was the year that I fell in love with punch needle. It started with a spring class with Toronto textile queen Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou and quickly become an obsession as I found myself needle punching in my car during my lunch breaks at work (yup: proud, crafty introvert here). As a long-time sewist and quilter, it was so exciting to find a craft that was portable, fast, easy-to-learn, and allowed me to dive into the beautiful world of yarn.
After completing a whole lot of punch needle projects and delving into the few resources I could find online, I decided to write my own punch needle guide for beginners wanting to learn the basics of this new-on-the-scene craft. In my ebook Drawing with Yarn: A Beginner's Guide to Punch Needle I cover all the basics including what you’ll need to get started, how to prepare your frame, creating stitches with your punch needle, dealing with common problems, creating texture and detail in your piece, and where to buy supplies. I’ve also included instructions and patterns for making a punch needle stuffie, throw pillow, and simple bag. Find my ebook on my website, in my Etsy shop, or for your Kindle on Amazon.
Punch Needle on Instagram:
Instagram is full of punch needle inspiration. Here are a few of my favourite accounts to follow:
Punch Needle Books & Videos:
Arounna Khounnoraj of Boohkou has played a huge role in making punch needle widely popular by sharing her creative process on social media. Her book has so many inspiring projects and techniques to experiment with. Want to see Arounna in action? Check out her Punch Needle Embroidery Class on Creative Bug (a monthly subscription starts at $7.95 USD)
Textile designer Julie Robert has a lovely book on punch needle (Punch Needle et Cie, published by Marabout), but know that it is written entirely in French. Between the beautiful images and the Google Translate app on my phone, it was completely worth the purchase for this non-French speaker. This book can be tricky to find: it occasionally pops up online or ask your local book shop to order it for you.
Amy Oxford (creator of my favourite punch needle) has loads of video tutorials on her website that cover topics such as calculating yarn amounts, working with different fibres and choosing frame types.
I designed an arctic trio of punch needle animals for the December 2019 cover of Mollie Makes magazine. The issue includes step-by-step instructions for making stitches with your punch needle and how to turn your projects into stuffies. Read more on my blog and order a copy here.
Rose Pearlman has two helpful videos on the basics of punch needle and how to get started with your stitching. Be sure to check out Melissa Lowry's beautiful I Make Things video to learn more about Rose's process and craft. December 2019 update: Rose just released her own book full of abstract punch needle inspiration.
I have two free punch needle patterns available on my blog that are perfect for beginners- check out my grapefruit and evergreen tree patterns.
The Fall 2018 issue of Uppercase Magazine featured a number of punch needle artists and makers. How beautiful is the punch needle colour wheel on the cover??
There you have it- my favourite resources for punch needle beginners. Are you looking for supplies so you can get started? Find punch needle kits in my shop.
Questions? Leave a comment below or check out this blog post on frequently asked punch needle questions. Happy punching!
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To kick off 2020, I’m sharing my punch needle evergreen pattern with you! When you're done stitching your tree you can turn it into a stuffy like I did, or fill in the background and turn it into a wall-hanging. This beginner pattern is great for using up yarn scraps, and is a fun addition to your winter decor now that the holidays are over.
Lesley Hill
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