I don my headgear, pick up my budgie and walk headlong into my stitching cave to mine… wait… to cross stitch!
My headlamp sure makes me feel like a miner, but in reality, it’s a tool I wish I had sooner. Today we talk about why getting yourself a headlamp might be a great little investment!
 

Light is far from a rare topic for me to discuss. From talking about the benefits of daylight bulbs to keeping your eyesight while cross stitching, light is a topic you’re probably well accustomed to hearing me talk about. But I approach the subject once again. But this time is a little different.
 
Yes, there are a whole host of reasons to get good lighting, from helping your eyesight, not straining to see it, keeping your back straight, and working with hard-to-see fabrics. But every lighting option has a big downside; they’re massive, and can’t come with you!
And this is where we talk about headlamps.
 

Actually, no. Let’s first talk about neck lights!
For a long time, if you wanted light for cross stitching on the move, neck lights were the way to go. These things would look around the back of your neck and have two small lamps on the edges to illuminate your work area. And they worked…kind of. They had enough light that cross stitching on a plane was possible, but not enough to eliminate the need for proper lighting in your main stitching area.
The fact that you have to replace batteries in them every 2 minutes made it all the worse! As a result, we’ve never spoken about them.
 
Headlamps are a little different though. With rechargeable batteries and incredibly strong LEDs coming to the market, headlamps not only give incredible light power but fix a lot of other issues neck lamps gave.
You no longer have to keep rearranging your lights to illuminate your work, your light moves with your head.
You no longer need light under your work (even though we do love tracing pads!)
You no longer need to worry about working with black aida!
You can even get fancy ones with magnifiers on the lenses, so you don’t have to use separate cross stitch magnifiers. But there is one really big benefit to headlamps…
 

Cost.
You see, neck lamps, daylight bulbs, even tracing pads, are all items made for specific uses. And with that, comes cost. But thanks to dog walkers, campers, and stargazers, headlamps are everywhere! This means prices drop, but quality increases. You can now get yourself a headlamp for a few dollars that outclasses neck lamps and daylight bulbs by a long way!
And that’s why I think a headlamp might be something worth considering for any stitcher, not just those who travel!
 
Have you got any tips for replacing threads? Or have you yet to delve into the world of personalizing cross stitch patterns?
 
Happy stitching!
Lord Libidan