by counting, you are stabilizing the speed with which you move the fabric. it's not the needle, it's just to keep a rhythm to your movements, which makes everything smoother. i sort of use a 'waltz' count speed and as i move i try to get to the next point with the same number of 'counts'.... so the speed of my count is the same but one time i might be doing one, two, three, four to get to the corner but the next time i might need to use one, two, three, four, five six to get to the point, corner or intersection..... the speed is the same, the count is just longer because i need more time to get to the next reference point. as you move from one area to the next or one design to the next, the length will change but the speed will be the same. i use 1 to 4 as my 'goto' count, only lengthening the numbers if i'm in an area that is larger. you will have to to find your own speed on the machine...and you will have to find the right rhythm for you...consistency is the key...