Of course! Cross stitch is like the pixel art version of embroidery. Assuming you’ll be working off of a pattern, the general process is that you’ll purchase either a kit (which has all of the supplies you’ll need) or just a pattern of what you want to make.

Then you need to gather materials - if you bought a kit, you can skip this part. The pattern will tell you all of the colors you need - usually these are indicated by one of the major embroidery floss brands such as DMC or Anchor, and each color has its own number or other classification. For example, for my current project I need two colors, DMC 799 (which is a pale blue), and DMC 3750, a dark blue. You will also need a fabric to stitch into. For my current project I am using linen, but there are other options such as Aida (a fabric specifically for cross stitch). You’ll want a blunt needle as well, usually called tapestry needles. Depending on your project size 24-28 are common for cross stitch (the larger the number the smaller the needle). If you have a local needlework shop it’s great to shop there, otherwise I buy my supplies at 123stitch.com (in the USA).

The pattern will be on gridded paper, with symbols corresponding to each color. Each symbol in the grid represents making a little “x” with that color in that spot. There are apps to keep track of where you are in the pattern - Markup R-XP on iOS and Pattern Keeper on Android are the major players, but I’ve also heard of people using a knitting pattern tracker as well, but I forget the name of it. Or you can print out the pattern on paper and highlight or cross out squares as you finish them.

And then eventually you have a picture! I don’t know if you can post pictures in replies in beehaw, so I posted one of my recent finishes and my current WIP on mastadon: https://mastodon.social/@Kamirose/110471012242274125

I do! There’s several different channels on youtube with instructions, so you can pick what works best for your brain. I’ll link some videos from a couple different creators below, but I recommend looking at their channels’ playlists too. They all have put together very good playlists to get you started:

• Alex’s Innovations. Basic knots for friendship bracelets: In case you need a refresher on what the knots are. Alex has a lot of neat pattern tutorials, and a great compendium video on all the ways you can start and end your bracelet.

• KnotLikeTheOthers. Easy Chevron Tutorial with tear drop loop: this was one of the first tutorials I tried out, the presenter goes slow and doesn’t speed up the footage for most of the process iirc. The chevron is a great design for getting the hang of the process, and it’s easier to keep neat than candy-stripe bracelets. Jenn is amazing at alpha bracelets, which look like pixel art and can be used as bookmarks or wall deco etc.

• Masha’s Knots. Beginner’s guide to bracelets: Very comprehensive video on pretty much all the basic stuff, but it can potentially get overwhelming. Masha has incredibly detailed explanations of all the techniques, and a ton of tutorials for really gorgeous patterns.

These are my favorites but there’s more, like Megan Morris and kinseyb. Apart from yt, there’s also a vibrant community to be found at BraceletBook and friendship-bracelets.net. They’re sites where people publish patterns and there’s an accompanying forum section too for discussions.

And now a couple extras:

• adjustable loop closures - a quick and dirty way to make your bracelets adjustable, i.e easier to take off. Not the prettiest or long lasting one, but good to get started.
• How to tie the shaped frog bracelet - shaped bracelets look really cool, and this is one of the few videos I’ve found showing how to do this technique. It can be applied to other patterns too, not just the frog.

Thanks for the tip and the encouragement! Drop spindles do look a lot more accessible than the big spinning wheels, and I have some wool roving left from my attempt at felting. Maybe I can try spinning sooner rather than later