Teaching needlepoint to the masses

Needle Nicely has a policy of encouraging non-needlepointers by handing out a beginner's kit that consists of about a 6" square of 10mesh canvas, an 18 needle, and several strands of Paternayan yarn along with stitch instructions for basketweave and continental stitches.  As Anna of http://www.stitchbitch.blogspot.com once commented:  "the first hit is free".

Once when Trubey and I were in Georgetown, Great Exuma, there were men doing some sort of charting of the world's surface.  I didn' t really understand what they were doing, but it was certainly fun to socialize with the helicopter crew.  Here I am stitching in the shade (not happily, because I remember that I was stitching with an early leather strips fiber from Dede.  It kept snapping.  Yuck!)

But I did con someone else into trying it.  He was darling, but sad to say, after lo these many years, I can't remember his name!!  He was gorgeous, but sadly not a needlepointer, though he tried valiantly!!

And Trubey and I had a marvelous vacation bonefishing during the early morning and drinking and dancing with the helicopter crew in the evening.  A perfect vacation when you're young and foolish!