I Don't Know, What *IS* Best?
With the help of a cross stitch pattern maker that offers a free trial, I've put together a first approximation of the all-cross-stitch version of the Conan sampler. I'm not certain of my floss numbers as yet, because it's all going to have to wait on looking at the actual colors in person, but I like what I have. There are four versions of an "inscription" to put in one dividing bar, pseudo-runic Roman letters and actual futhark for each phrase; one's from Conan's father's sword in the film, "Suffer no guilt he who wields this in the name of Crom". The other is what Cohen the barbarian replied when asked what the greatest things in life were, to wit "Hot water, good dentistry and soft lavatory tissue."
Next I have to figure out how to do the more complex not-cross-stich version, which is going to feature such things as double interlaced herringbone and Algerian eyelets. Should be fun...