cross-stitching tips!

I am trying to learn more about enhancing the speed and quality of my cross stitching. I’ve been doing it for quite a long time but I still wonder why I always get knots in the sewing thread or how to stitch faster so I will have more projects done?
In CrossStitcher (issue 209) there was a great free diary that included some handy tips. Here are some of them that I found quite handy:

1. Keep a completed project crease free by rolling it around a cardboard tube with stitching facing outwards.

2. Keep your metallic threads under control and easy to use by knotting the tread to the eye of the needle.

3. Bind the edged of a ring frame with strips of cotton fabric. This will help to keep your fabric taut in the frame.

4. Your stitching tension will vary from day to day so always come to a convenient finishing point before packing up.

5. Work the top area of the design first, followed by the bottom section. This will reduce the temptation of leaning against previously stitched areas.

6. Be economical with your thread by stitching a row of half cross stitch and then working back along the row in the opposite direction to complete the cross.

Also, on the CrossStitcher website, I found some great tips on washing the work as well as on keeping back of the embroidery neat.