TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) - Week 2: Buttonhole Stitch

So it's week 2 and I'm relieved to find another familiar stitch:  buttonhole stitch. What I like about this stitch is that it can be made to look very different just by varying the length or direction or by working it in a half or full  circle. To the left is my "doodle cloth." I have to confess that I really dislike working on this linen because it requires me to count threads and holes to produce a uniform stitch. Never one to "color in the lines," I find I'm constantly ripping out stitches because I've miscounted. I also find it incredibly tedious to add counting to something as relaxing as stitching. That said, I decided after week one that after a few practice stitches, I would switch to a sampler that I'm more comfortable with and that I can actually use when the year's worth of stitches is done. I made a 9 block miniature crazy quilt in neutral tones with some gold accents. It is on this sampler that I will experiment with each stitch. Below are some of my first attempts at playing with the buttonhole stitch.