Hi Everyone,

Are you excited to jump into the #OxCoPALs Gaubles project? This is a rather simple one that has been tackled in previous PALs projects, but for those who are just joining or need a refresher, I will be sure to go over everything again! 

For this project we used either a #13 or #14 fine Oxford Punch Needle and 18" x 18" Oxford Gripper Strip Frames. If you ordered the digital download, you can trace these patterns on a 24" x 24" piece of monk's cloth which will also stretch really well on your 18" x 18" frame. 

The yarns that we picked out for the pre-made color palettes are all worsted weight yarns that will flow nicely through your fine point needles. While you can try rug yarn and a regular point punch needle, you may find the Padula pattern a little tricky. 

The beauty of these patterns is the fact that they are quick and easy to punch up BUT you can also zhuzh it up however you want! You can use multiple colors in one, you can use one or two, you can add novelty yarns if you have them and want something a little extra. Things that may *appear* simple can be the most fun to create because it is easier to take them and make them your own! 

Here is a quick overview on setting up to be ready to punch as well as punching with a fine point Oxford Punch Needle for those who may need it:

1. Remember once you receive or have finished tracing your pattern to stretch it as tightly as you can on your frame, drum tight. If you are using a Morgan No Slip Hoop, you can still stretch it very tight, it is just a tiny bit finicky. (Amy has a great YouTube tutorial on this.) Amy also suggest using pliers to help stretch your monk's cloth. (Make sure you fold the monk's cloth. If you leave it one layer and stretch it using the pliers, you may tear a hole in your monk's cloth.)

2. Remember to start punching the smallest elements first, then work your way up to the larger ones and background last. You may want to do any borders early on as well. You can punch the border before you start punching the smaller items if you wish.

3. Punching with a fine point needle requires you to punch in every hole, every other row. You can use your stitch gauge to make sure that your stitch count is correct. The newest Oxford Stitch Gauges are double sided, one side for regular point punch needles, the opposite side for fine point. If you still have one of our older stitch gauges but would like one of the newer ones, you can find them HERE. 

4. We suggest whip stitching these when you do finishing. If you decide you would rather hem the Gaubles to use for coasters, make sure you punch two rows for your border close together. This way you wont see gaps and/or monk's cloth. I will say that hemming these may be difficult, so choose your option wisely. 

I hope this helps everyone to get started! Next week I will give you a peak into the color palettes and why we selected them to go with their patterns. 

If you have any questions, let me know! I am always happy to help. You can email them, comment on the blog post, or DM us on social media!

Until next week, Happy Punching!

~Hannah