How do I work the crosstitch do one color first or go by rows

The question is do you work cross stitch colour by colour or row by row. And the answer is it depends. It depends on what your are comfortable with, and on the nature of the design. If i am working on something like a band sampler, I finish each band, one at a time, because that makes it easier to keep everything spaced the way it should be. If there are large patches of a single colour in a design, I work patch by patch. If there are lots of colour changes, some people like to thread up needles with all the colours in an area, and then change from needle to needle as they move across a row. Some people are careful to stitch dark colours before light, to keep the lighter areas clean. Other people leave certain dark colours that tend to fuzz, or textured yarns, until the end, so they don't leave fibers all over.

So, do what works best for you with what you are stitching on.

Dawne

Dawne has given you some good advice. But you could look at some tutorials on line, such as at Carole Leather's website - which has good beginning (and progressive) information, with diagrams

is another good reference: several designers also have information. The 2 I've given you willreally be helpful, as it sounds like you're just getting started. You canalso look into information on the Embroiders' Guild of America site, thereis a basic technique for XS which is downloadable. luck with your project. Ellice