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How to start a cross stitch without a knot
Start a cross-stitch thread without a knot on the back. With two strands, use a loop start: fold one long strand, come up, go down, and catch the loop on the back. With one or three strands, use a waste knot or an away knot on the front that you cut off later, and end every thread by running it under three or four stitches on the back.
On this page
A knot on the back of cross stitch makes a lump that shows once the piece is framed or pressed, and on Aida it can pull straight through a hole. Stitchers use four knot-free starts instead. Which one fits depends on how many strands are in your needle.
| Strands in the needle | Start with |
|---|---|
| 2 or 4 | A loop start |
| 1, 3 or any | A waste knot, an away knot or a tail start |
| Next to stitches already made | Run the thread under them on the back |
Before you start
- Cut a comfortable length. About 45 cm (18 in), roughly forearm to fingertips. Longer threads tangle and wear thin as they pass through the cloth again and again.
- Separate the strands. Pull single strands out of the six and lay the ones you need side by side; see how many strands to use.
- Know where your first stitch goes. Most stitchers begin near the centre of the cloth and the chart; see Find the centre.
The loop start
The neatest start, with nothing at all left on the back. It works when you stitch with an even number of strands, because you fold one strand in half to make two.
- Cut one strand twice your usual length (about 90 cm).
- Fold it in half and thread both cut ends through the needle. The fold hangs as a loop at the other end.
- From the back, bring the needle up at the bottom left of your first square. Stop pulling while the loop is still on the back.
- Go down at the top right, making the first half of the cross.
- On the back, pass the needle through the loop and pull gently until it closes. The thread is anchored.
- Carry on and complete the cross.
For four strands, fold two strands together. For one or three strands, the loop start does not work: use one of the starts below.
The waste knot
A knot that sits on the front, where you cut it away later. It works for any number of strands.
- Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
- Take the needle down from the front about 3 cm (an inch) from your first stitch, along the row you are about to stitch, so the thread on the back lies under that row.
- Come up at your first stitch and work towards the knot. Each stitch covers the thread on the back.
- When your stitches reach the knot, pull it up slightly and snip it off on the front. The thread underneath is held by your stitches.
The away knot
Like the waste knot, but placed away from where you will stitch, so nothing has to cover it.
- Knot the thread and take it down from the front 5–10 cm (2–4 in) from your first stitch, in a direction you will not stitch.
- Stitch your area as usual.
- When it is done, cut off the knot, pull the tail through to the back, thread it on the needle and run it under three or four stitches, as you would end a thread.
The away knot suits backstitch, single strands, and small areas of colour where there is no row to cover a waste knot.
The tail start
Come up at your first stitch and leave 2–3 cm (an inch) of thread on the back. Hold the tail flat against the cloth along the row and catch it under your first four or five stitches. It is quick, but the tail can slip until it is covered, so keep a finger on it.
For a backstitch line with no crosses nearby, a similar start is three tiny stitches along the line itself, which the backstitch then covers.
Starting next to finished stitches
Once there are stitches on the cloth, you need no knot or loop at all: on the back, run the new thread under three or four stitches close to where you will start, ideally of the same or a darker colour, then come up and stitch. This is also how every backstitch line is usually started.
How to end a thread
- Finish your last stitch with the needle on the back.
- Run the needle under three or four stitches on the back, in the direction they lie.
- Pull gently so the cloth does not pucker, and trim the end close.
Avoid carrying a thread across more than a few squares of bare cloth to the next stitch of the same colour. A long jump can show through, especially a dark thread on light cloth, and it catches on later stitches. End the thread and start again instead, or park it.
Common mistakes
- A loop start with an odd number of strands. It cannot be done: folding always gives an even number.
- Pulling too tight. The first stitches anchor the thread, so a hard tug puckers the cloth. Pull until the stitch lies flat.
- Cutting the waste knot too early. Wait until your stitches have covered the thread on the back.
- Trimming too close on the front. Snip a waste knot a little away from the cloth so you do not cut a stitch.
Keep track as you start and stop
Every start and end is a moment when you look away from the chart. An app keeps the place for you: in Crosstela you tap Mark and then the squares you have stitched, and you can park a thread on the chart where it waits. For a backstitch line, press and hold a square it crosses and tap How to stitch this line: numbered discs show where the needle comes up and goes down. See Follow a backstitch line and Park a thread.
Crosstela is free, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Your next step
Try the loop start on your first ten crosses, and end that thread under three or four stitches. A small chart is the place for it: Strawberries has 1,401 stitches in 8 colours and no backstitch. For the rest of your first evening, see your first stitch, and for how to read the chart, how to read a pattern.
Questions people ask
Can you use a knot in cross stitch?
It is best not to. A knot on the back makes a lump under a framed piece and can pull through Aida. A waste knot or an away knot sits on the front and is cut off later, so nothing stays on the back.
Why does the loop start only work with two strands?
Because you fold one strand in half to make the loop, the needle always carries an even number: one strand folded gives two, two folded give four.
How long should my thread be for cross stitch?
About 45 cm (18 in), roughly the length of your forearm. For a loop start, cut one strand twice that long before you fold it.
How do you end a thread in cross stitch?
On the back, run the needle under three or four stitches and trim the end close. If the next stitch of that colour is far away, end the thread and start again.
What is the difference between a waste knot and an away knot?
A waste knot sits in the path of your stitches, which cover its thread on the back. An away knot sits away from them; after stitching, you cut it off and weave its tail in on the back.