Embroidery hoop of cross stitch - yes or no?

[soloula]

I bought a cross stitch kit to try and get back into it as its been years since I've done any embroidery. The pattern's not massive - about 7" square - and comes with a hoop but I've never used a hoop before. Do I really need to use it? I'm pretty sure I've tried to use one before and just found it really fiddly but that was about 20 years ago so I'm kind of approaching it all as a newbie again so wanting to get into good habits from the beginning.

I've always used one to hold the material 'square' (so the warp & the weft are at right angles)

Going to give the hoop a try. Will let you know how I go!

PolterGoose that book looks fab! I'd been put off trying cross stitch again as so many of the patterns and kits are really twee and naff. Love the dirty/subversive cross stitch although wary about putting them up anywhere the DC could read them when they're a couple years older. This is the kit I've got:
www.google.co.uk/search?q=word+to+your+mother+cross+stitch&oq=word+to+&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0l2j69i65j69i57.2935j1j4&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=DMGOiO28otPMJM%3A

A bit late, but just to say that I've never used a hoop for cross stitch. I found that rolling the canvas / linen onto a thinish plastic tube to give it some solidity works well; you hold the roll in the hand you don't sew with and sew with the other. It also keeps bigger projects cleaner.

There's no need to sew under tension and in fact, I think you get a better finish without the hoop. Someone I used to know was a professional (and amazing) embroideress and, although her work was on a frame, it was never under tension.