Stitch of the Week

Byzantine Scotch


The Byzantine Scotch stitch is a great stitch for creating special effects in your needlepoint canvas. This is a larger version of the Diagonal Hungarian Ground. It is accomplished by doing the Byzantine stitch with a Scotch stitch in between. The Byzantine stitch is a great stitch for filling in diagonal shapes. When using a stitch like this, it is best to work from the upper right corner of the canvas to the lower left, as you would do basketweave. This helps to avoid snagging the yarn in the row before as you stitch.

This stitch would be great for a stone fireplace or wall, a garden wall, path, or road. The thing to keep in mind is that it can be an overwhelming stitch, so use it carefully for backgrounds.

Some fibers that would work well with this stitch would be Planet Earth Silk, as it is a very smooth thread and you wouldn't have to worry about snags as you are stitching, and it also covers canvas well, which is important when using a long stitch method like this. Also, overdyed threads would be great for creating a gradiated effect, especially if you were using it in a canvas featuring a brick or stone wall. This would really help create a realistic effect, especially since bricks and stones are naturally gradiated.

*some information on this stitch was found in The Needlepoint Book by Jo Ippolito Christensen. This book is a must have for dedicated stitchers!