I've put together a blog post that covers the most commonly asked questions about punch needle. If you have any other questions not covered, leave a comment or drop me an email.
How does the punch needle work?
The punch needle forms a continuous loop stitch. When you push down on your punch needle, it pushes down a long end of yarn. When you pull the needle back through the fabric, it folds the yarn, creating a loop.
Don’t the stitches fall out? Don’t I need glue to secure them?
The stitches stay in place because of the tightness created by the loops when they are packed together in the foundation fabric. You don’t need fabric glue to secure them.
My stitches keep pulling out!
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Make sure your needle opening is facing the way you are moving
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Make sure you are punching all the way down and that the handle touches the fabric
- Don’t pull the needle up very high are this will pull the loop too short
- Ensure your yarn flows freely. Things to look about:
- Is there a knot in your yarn?
- Does your yarn have enough slack?
- Is your yarn tangled?
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The lowest pile option is the hardest to get your yarn to stay, especially when you begin in a new area with the low pile. Either try the second lowest pile instead, or put a single, quick place-holder row of longer pile around the perimeter of where you want the low pile, and then begin filling in the low pile. The placeholder row will crowd the fabric just enough to make it tighter and easier to hold the low pile in place. When you are done with the low pile, remove the placeholder.
My loops are uneven
If points 1-5 in the points above don’t help, check the tightness of the monk’s cloth. You want to ensure it is as tight as a drum. Un-loosen the screw of the non-slip hoop, pull the fabric as tightly as possible and tighten the screw of the hoop again. Also pull on the fabric once the screw is tightened.
My loops have slipped out passing on
You can undo and redo the entire row. Or you can cut the loops about a ½ inch on either side of the mistake, remove the section and punch a new section in. or you can use a crochet needle to GENTLY coax it back into place in the front. You don’t want to pull the rest of your loops out.