Guides / Stitching
How to cross stitch: one at a time or in rows
A cross stitch is two diagonals crossing inside one square. The movement takes ten stitches to learn; what makes a piece look good is doing it the same way every time.
A cross is two diagonals across one block of the fabric, through its four holes. The movement is learnt in ten stitches; what makes a beautiful piece is evenness.
What you need
- Prepared 14-count aida, centre marked
- Two strands of thread, started without a knot
- A size 24 tapestry needle
- The chart
The movement
The stitch goes through the four holes of the block, never through its middle. At each hole the needle changes side: front, back, front.
One cross, hole by hole: the cloth turns over each time the needle goes through. Two diagonals on the front, one short straight stitch on the back.- 1: come up from the back through the bottom left hole.
- 2: go down top right. That is the first diagonal, “/”.
- 3: at the back, cross to the bottom right hole and come up.
- 4: go down top left. The second diagonal, “\”, covers the first.
Tip. Pull just enough for the thread to lie flat: too tight, it pinches the block and shows the holes; too loose, it makes a loop that catches.
Always cross the same way
The only real rule: the top diagonal always leans the same way, across the whole piece.
A cross crossed the other way goes unnoticed up close, but the light catches it differently: the whole surface looks patchy.- Whichever way you choose, as long as it never changes.
- After a break, look at a finished stitch before you start: it reminds you of the direction.
- ✓ Every cross finishes the same way: the surface is smooth and even.
- ✗ One cross the wrong way round: light catches it differently, and it makes a dull patch.
Tip. Left-handed? Turn the fabric upside down, a half turn: the movement comes naturally to the left hand, and the crosses stay the same.
In rows
For an area of one colour, two passes: the hand keeps the same movement, the stitches come out more even and use less thread.
The Danish way: half crosses going out, crosses coming back. Best for filling an area of one colour.- On the way out, left to right: a half cross “/” in every block.
- On the way back, right to left: the “\” diagonal over each one.
- Move to the next row and start again.
Tip. Thread twisting by the end of the row? Let go of the needle and let it hang: it untwists by itself. More in preparing the thread.
In rows or one at a time?
Both methods give the same cross. Choose by the chart, and mix them freely.
A one-colour border: whole rows of the same thread, just what working in rows is for. Photo: Dee.lite, public domain- To practise: small flowers or a motif from the gallery, in 3 or 4 colours. A weekend is enough.
- Or your own chart, made from a photo with the converter.
| In rows (Danish) | One at a time (English) |
|---|
| Backgrounds, large areas of one colour | Single stitches, outlines, diagonals |
| Faster, less thread | Colours that change often |
Shared holes
Two neighbouring crosses share two holes. Which way you go through them changes how clean the stitch looks.
Very close: each cross covers its square, and neighbouring stitches meet in the holes they share. Photo: rawdonfox, CC BY 2.0- ✓ Come up through an empty hole, go down through one already in use.
- ✗ Coming up through a full hole: the tip catches the next stitch's strands and fluffs them.
Tip. A stitch gone wrong? Unthread the needle and ease the thread out hole by hole with its tip. Stretched holes close up again in the wash.
What order to stitch in
Start from the centre of the fabric, which is also the centre of the chart, and work area by area, counting from a finished stitch.
- Dark colours first, such as 310 or 3371: they draw the design.
- Then the light ones: a dark thread crossing under a pale stitch would show.
- Backstitch last, in 1 strand, over the crosses.
Tip. Between sessions, take the work out of the hoop: left clamped, it marks the fabric with a ring that is hard to remove.