So earlier I told you a bit about my cross stitch saga with Kelli. Â It all started out with a trip to Osage to The Stitchery Nook. Â I told you about that earlier. Â What I didn’t tell you was my light/magnifier story….here goes.
When we left Osage after we talked with the ladies at the retreat upstairs I had it in my mind that I wanted to try a magnifier. Â Our idea was to go to JoAnn’s, get the DMC floss we needed, and check for a magnifier. Â If we didn’t find anything there, we’d go on to Hobby Lobby. Â We’re so lucky that Mason City has both stores.
At JoAnn’s I picked out my thread and got a new system for storing my floss (more on that in a bit), needles and the floss too. Â I was done and Kelli was still picking her’s out so I started browsing the store to see if I could find a magnifier. Â As I said in the previous post I loved to cross stitch. Â Then life with the kids got busy and it got set aside. Â A couple years ago I tried to start again but found my eyes wouldn’t let me do it. Â Fast forward to now and the great advice from the retreaters, I was determined a magnifier would work.
I asked the clerk….She pointed me to some magnifying glasses but none of them seemed like it would work for me. Â She did mention there were some with a light but I ignored that and went back to find Kelli telling her I didn’t find anything. Â Well Kelli was taking longer so I decided I might as well wonder over to the lights with magnifiers.
So I looked and saw this.
Hmm. Â That had me wondering. Â There was a light….there was a magnifier and there was a clip. Â That sounded good. Â It could be floor height or table height. Â Hmmm. Â Price $279. Â NOPE. Â Then I looked some more. Â There was a sign that said $79 for a sale price. Â I looked and looked. Â I read and reread the sign trying to figure out if this might be the lamp. Â I know JoAnns marks stuff super high priced and then cuts it but $200 off seemed a little unrealistic.
I went and got Kelli. Â We both decided that we thought we might be right. Â The lamp might be $79. Â WOW. Â I could try that, but did I want to. Â I kind of thought yes, then Kelli said, “Mom, I have a 20% off coupon and entire purchase too.” Â Hmm…Yep. Â I was going to buy it.
We put the lamp in the cart and headed to the check out. Â The lady scanned it and the lamp came up as $179. Â That’s closer to the price I expected it to be. Â Kelli told the lady the sign said only $79. Â The lady didn’t believe her. Â Kelli and the cashier ended up going back to the Ott light lamp display and reading, then re-reading the sign as Kelli and I had already done. Â The cashier couldn’t believe the price but everything indicated that $79 was indeed the price so the cashier rang it up at the $79 price.
As we got into the truck Kelli said that she bet that the sign would be taken down after we left and that the price should have read $179.  I don’t know.  I don’t care.  All I was concerned about was would it work?
So did it work?YES!!
I love it! Â Kalissa snapped this picture of me while I was stitching.
There’s a light at the top. Â There’s a clip to hold my work and there is the magnifier.
This is what I’m working on. Â It’s one of the patterns I bought at The Stitchery Nook. Â The saying is special to me. Â I bought a couple other LizzieKate designs that I also liked. Â I’m hoping to stitch several and then group them together.
Here’s a picture of what the piece looks like when it’s under the magnifier. Â The lamp makes cross stitch do-able for me again. Â That makes me happy. Â I don’t need another hobby at all but alas…it is making me keep my foot up so I kind of wish I would have discovered the lamp two month ago!!
Kalissa is taking an American Film college class and GenEd  class.  I even volunteered to watch a movie with her so I could stitch.
So readers, be prepared. Â There will be a cross stitch blog post happening occasionally here on the blog.
Incidentally you can find the lamp here on Amazon, OttLite K94CP3 3-in-1 Adjustable-Height Craft Floor Lamp with Magnifier and Clip. Â It’s not the $79 price but it isn’t the $279 price either.
Love that magnifier light ♥
I’ve seen these at JoAnn’s but never considered them. Maybe I’ll look closer the next time I’m there. I just got 60% off coupon in the mail from them yesterday. I don’t do cross-stitch but hand applique and my eyes have been getting really tired and strained lately. I think this would probably be less expensive than the optical thing Bonnie Hunter got to help her vision. Happy stitching! Blessings, Gretchen
Cross Stitching was once a part of my life and after reading this it could be again. The only problem is now I am a rug hooker and quilter. Not sure I want another hobby. During the winter I crochet, but only small projects. So happy that you have such a nice needlework shop within easy driving distance. Have fun!
If you wear trifocals, like I do, they can make them with any magnification you want in the lower part. I showed the doctor exactly where I wanted to hold my hands and then he used the machine to determine the magnification for my lenses. Works like a charm. I can read and stitch just where I want. Got my glasses at Costco and they were very inexpensive compared with most other places.
It looks like you’re stitching on linen, not aida. As linen has twice as many holes, they are harder to see, so using aida might make it even easier for you.
I just finished that one, I need to have it framed! I have three other Lizzie Kate ones finished and framed grouped together love them. I may have to check the light out, I too can’t see like I use to
After reading your blog yesterday, and then again today, I’m tempted to get back into
cross stitching. I’ll need to reorganize and probably downsize my fabric stash before
starting another hobby. Thanks for sharing.
I have that light! It works great – and I use the clip all the time. I don’t need the magnification all of the time but when I do it is there. FYI – my 5 yo grandson LOVES the magnifier. When he visits we have to look at each other thru it – magnified – and check out everything to see how big it is!
What a great idea! I too have had to give up cross stitching because of age and my eyes. I still have everything, just couldn’t give it up. Now I will have to find a great deal of the magnifying light too!
Hi Jo, I am a long time fan of cross stitching. I’m glad you found a light/magnifier system that works for you. I’ve found that if I copy then print out my pattern at an increased size it helps my eyes. You may need to print your pattern out in sections just make sure you overlap a bit when printing different sections. I also use a highlighter to mark what has been stitched making it easier to find where I’m at. Have fun!
You will LOVE your Ott light & magnifier!! I have had the floor style & portable style for years! I use for jewelry making. Before I got them, I discovered lots of eye stress relief by wearing a pair of $2 cheater glasses ALONG with my prescription glasses!! Looked silly but I could do close work like beads or embroidery and watch television with my husband (over the tops of the cheaters)! ;) You will love your investment.
Yeah! So glad you were able to find a magnifier and light. I see lots of cross stitch in your future.
What a lovely pattern. I too enlarge my cross stitch patterns on a copier and usually overlap sections. It works out very well since my eyes also need all the help they can get for close work.
I also love doing cross stitch. I go back and forth between piecing – I love English paper piecing – and cross stitch. I actually love any kind of hand work. But I agree with you, eyes over 50 need special lighting, I have 2 Ott lights in my living room. One for me and sewing and one for husband and his woodcarving! I haven’t tried a magnifier yet. Probably next on my list of must haves. Enjoy your projects. I just finished 4 cross stitch Santas for the daughters for Christmas!
I have stitched with Ott lights for almost 15 years now and they are wonderful for the early stages of “my eyes just can’t do that any more”. I went to magnification a couple of years ago. I ended up buying a Dublin craft light after Mary Corbett of Needle and Thread (a fabulous site for surface embroidery) reviewed several different types of lights. I was able to purchase my lamp on a Black Friday special. I love my lamp and just wouldn’t be able to do cross stitch without it. I have been stitching for almost 40 years now and I almost cried the day I got my lamp and was able to see to stitch again. Love my Ott’s for quilting, it is so much easier for me to see what I am doing using them. Congratulations on finding something to help you resume something you loved doing.
I have an older OTT Light with a magnifier. I love it. Especially at night when I am doing my Hexies. I’ve had it at least 15 years and it just needed a new light bulb. Found one online and it is working good as new.
I too used to cross-stitch a lot. When I lived on base near Omaha I was in a group sort of like Tupperware parties but it was cross stitch and a couple other types of sewing/stitching (can’t remember what they were called) but after each party I would win so much in free patterns, floss, frames…you name it! Unfortunately when I moved to Texas the company wasn’t here, even asking to be a rep for then, I would never get a response. Which I consider a great loss for both of us
Jo, what a great find!! My mom enjoys cross stitching but recently decided not to do it because she couldn’t see well enough. This might help! I’ve been seeing a lot of these LizzieKate designs around. I really like her stuff! Enjoyed your post. (always do)
I don’t cross-stitch, but I have a floor model OttoLite for quilting and I love it.
Thanks so much for featuring our original 3-in-1 Craft Lamp. It was created especially for crafters and needlework lovers in mind so we’re excited that it’s working so well for you so you can see the details clearly and do what you love longer!