Cross stitch ain't always easy

... and I take back what I said in chat about counted cross stitch being more forgiving than freestyle/surface embroidery now.  Even threatening to take my socks off to count (since all my fingers are busy with cloth, needle, and floss) didn't help on this project.  I managed to pick a design even more intricate than the thistle flowers on my English rose design ... and while I messed up one corner design I figured I could just get the other three right.  Oopsie!

Here's the pic of the piece I am abandoning due to multiple mistakes (marked by red "X"s)

multiple counting errors in cross stitch

So I have a new square of Aida cloth hooped up to start this one all over.  I am going to use different colors, as I discovered I don't have as much black floss as I thought in all these clearance cross stitch kits.  Hopefully I get this new version counted correctly, because I really do like the design and want an example/sample of it.

Since I call my mistakes "learning opportunities" what have I learned other than counted cross stitch isn't always easy?

1. I need to stick to easier designs when on my good pain meds.
2. Dark color charts are difficult to read ... I may need to get one of those magnetic boards with a line bar magnet to keep track of where I am on it.
3. On difficult or dark (or both) charts I should probably count three times instead of two.  Then again, even that doesn't help when I accidentally skip a line.
4. Definitely let the floss untwist more ... those twist-tangle knots are extremely irritating.

On the bright side, I received my own copy of The Embroidery Stitch Bible.  I like it enough to buy one, and returned the library's copy yesterday while renewing the Elizabethan Cross Stitch design book I am working out of.  I checked out another embroidery reference book to peruse, Embroidery Techniques & Patterns by Marie-Noelle Bayard.  So far I've only skimmed the table of contents, so no opinion on the actual book yet.  If any of y'all have it or have read it, I'd be interested in your opinions of it.

Now to choose a color I have a lot of on hand this time ...