Good, Better, Best ~~Remembering my roots

Just the other day I was sitting among my stash and watching Flosstube. What? You don't do that? Anyway, like I said I was sitting among my stash, watching Flosstube. I was admiring how varied our community is.

It got me thinking about my first steps into the world of stitching, granted they were a long time ago but I made them none the less. I still to do this day remember the very first kit I ever stitched. It was the goose ornament. Any other early 1980's stitchers other there remember that one? What I am trying to get at with this is the needle this kit came with. I thought it was soooo coool that I had my very own needle and didn't have to borrow my mother's. I kept that needle for years; so long in fact most of the finish had been eaten away by the oils in my hands. It wasn't the best needle but it was a good needle; it got the job done.

Then came the day when I moved away from kits and started selecting pattern, fabric and threads as individual items. The lady at the LNS helped me with everything and even included a free pack of DMC needles as her gift to me. She advised me to start with a new needle. I did and wow just wow. I was blown away by how much those needles were better then what I had been using. I was proud of my little pack of needles. I abandoned my first needle and committed myself to only using DMC needles.

Fast forward a few years (more than that.....more than that.....ok stop), I had just broken my third needle in one day while working on my HAED. I turned to the message board to see what I could do. Someone ( I honestly can't remember who ) posted about needles and talked about different brands. I had never heard of these brands. So to Google I went. I was able to order a pack of Bohins from 123stitch. These needles rocked my world! I couldn't believe the quality of these needles. I was in love.

Now I know what you are saying, "hurry up get to the point already!". My point is this. There was nothing wrong with the needle I started with, in fact I still use kit needles from time to time. I was able to move up with my quality of needles in time and as funds allowed, but that didn't make me any less of a stitcher. We all start somewhere and we all start within whatever budget we have at the time.