Stitch of the Week: Kennan

I first encountered the Kennan stitch at the TNNA (The National Needlearts Association) show in January. It was the suggested background for a project that I had signed up to do. I never finished the project (no comments please) but I did pick up the stitch.

The Kennan Stitch is a very versatile stitch. It is easy to do and leaves decent coverage on the backside of the canvas (meaning it ought to wear fairly well). Suggested uses (from Beth Robertson and Suzanne Howren from their fantastic series, Stitches for Effect) include: grass/fields (w/overdyed thread or Rainbow Linen), water/sky (stranded thread/overdyed thread), animal fur (Alpaca/Angora) and clothing (stranded or twisted threads).

The stitch is done from left to right and then back again. The first stitch goes over one canvas intersection from lower left to upper right -- in other words a regular tent stitch. To do the second stitch, drop down 2 horizontal canvas threads from where you ended stitch #1. Come forward to commence stitch number two, go up and over three horizontal canvas threads and one vertical canvas thread (thus creating a tall, slightly angled forward stitch). Once again, drop down two canvas threads from where you ended stitch number two to begin stitch number three.

To begin the return row, bring your needle forward two horizontal canvas threads beneath where you began the final stitch of the previous row (in the same row of holes). Repeat the same type of stitch from the previous row (meaning if the stitch above is a short one then you would do another short stitch and if the stitch above is a long one you would do a long one). In the return row, the top of the long stitch goes into the bottom of the short stitch and the top of the short stitch goes into the bottom of long stitch.

One variation pictured at left is to do a cross stitch in between the longer stitches instead of a simple tent stitch. The result is only subtly different with the small stitch being slightly more noticeable.