Day Five (5): Crewel work sampler begun

I've decided to teach myself crewel work (surface embroidery in fine wool), so I've started a sampler.  I'm working my way through the twelve stitches taught in Jane Rainbow's Beginner's Guide to Crewel Embroidery: From top to bottom: 

• different tries at stem stitch
• chain stitch
• split stitch and satin stitch
• buttonhole stitch
• french knots
• first step of spider's web stitch

I've never done any embroidery before.  I learned needlepoint last year -- this is much, much, MUCH harder because there's no guide for the stitch size and there are so many freaking stitches.  I can see it's going to take mountains of practice, but that's cool.  I do love learning new things, even if I totally suck at them :)

My stem stitch, for instance.  I just couldn't learn it from the book I was using -- didn't make any sense to me.  Then I went looking for a video, and it made it all clear :)   Thanks god for YouTube ...

Anyway, that's my thing for today.