If you punch with the angled edge facing where you already punched, you will have raised, twisted threads on the back of your work. If you lift the needle up off the fabric while you are punching, you will have loops on the back of your work- you want to bring the needle up and out of the fabric, but when it comes up out of the fabric, keep the needle as close to the fabric as you can, actually keep touching the fabric with the very tip of the needle, and glide the needle over to the next stitch place.
Here is a nifty hint- I am doing this, and it is easy, PLUS it makes your Russian punchneedles look really pretty! Take the tube that comes on the Punchneedle (that they give you for measuring the depth of your loops) and cut off one-eighth (1/8) and set aside. Use beads that fit on your needle, that are all the same size width- stack them on your needle, then slide the small piece of tubing on, to hold the beads on. You can then regulate the depth of your loops by removing and adding those beads!!! Isn't that just a wonderful idea! Something so simple, but OH so helpful!
I have been using those beads, and they make it really nice, because every time I remove two beads, the loop is just as deep as it was the last time I took two beads off. When I tried using the little tube only, it was hard to slide it off and on, also, I could not tell from just eye-balling which one I may have used for a loop of the depth I wanted. This is just an absolutely wonderful idea for uniformity in stitching!
As for hoops, Marinda says that she likes to use the regular embroidery hoop, only she wraps the inner circle with knitting yarn. You have to get a longer screw for the hoop if you do this. (Ask me how I know- anybody got an extra 3 inch long screw??)
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