Cross-stitching and needlepoint are accessible to different income and skill levels—because it’s all about plugging in a pattern based on graphs, straightforward instructions, and low-priced kits.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in my 50s, and I have an issue with my best friend of 35 years. We don’t live in the same state anymore, but we talk several times a week and try to visit every year. We ...