How to start a cross stitch kit

What is in a kit

A cross stitch kit holds what one design needs:

• a piece of cloth, usually Aida;
• the threads, often already sorted onto a card;
• a needle;
• the chart, with its key;
• usually a sheet of instructions.

Some kits add a hoop. Scissors are usually not included, so have a small pair ready.

Look at the cloth first. If it is blank, the kit is counted cross stitch and this page is for you. If the design is printed on the cloth, it is a stamped kit, which is stitched differently: see Stamped vs counted cross stitch.

Start a kit in seven steps

1. See that nothing is missing. Go through the kit's list of contents, then count the thread colors against the key. It is better to find a gap now than halfway through.
2. Read the instructions through. Look for how many strands of thread to stitch with. Where a kit does not say, two strands is usual on 14 count Aida.
3. Sort the threads against the key. The next section shows how.
4. Look after the edges. The cut edges of the cloth fray as you handle it. Preparing fabric has the ways to stop that.
5. Find the center. Fold the cloth in half both ways and mark where the folds cross. Find the center of the chart from the arrows on its edges. How to start a cross stitch shows both.
6. Thread the needle. The needle in a kit is a blunt tapestry needle of a size that suits the cloth. Cut a length of thread about 18 inches (45 cm) long, pull away the strands you need, and thread them.
7. Make the first stitch near the center, then count outward from it. Keep the top leg of every cross leaning the same way. How to cross stitch teaches the stitch.

Sort the threads against the key

The key (1) lists every color in the design: its symbol on the chart, and a number or a name for the thread. Your job is to be sure which thread is which symbol before you start.

If the threads came on a card, check each one against the key and leave them where they are.

If the threads came loose or in one bundle, make a card (2):

1. Take a strip of cardstock and punch one hole for each color.
2. Beside each hole, draw the color's symbol and write its number.
3. Sort the threads in daylight. Lay the shades that look alike side by side, so you can tell the lighter from the darker.
4. Loop each color through its hole (3).

From then on you read a symbol on the chart, find it on the card, and pull one length of the right thread.

A lost or confusing color key

• Two symbols look alike. Mark one of them on the chart with a colored pencil, and mark its hole on the card the same way.
• Two threads look alike. Compare them side by side in daylight, where colors show true.
• The key is lost. The chart still works. Sort the threads into groups by color and, going by the kit's picture of the finished piece, decide which thread stands for which symbol. Write your choice beside each symbol on the chart, so that it stays the same to the last stitch.
• You need to buy a missing thread. Match it by eye against real thread. Take a piece of the kit's thread with you and hold it beside the skeins, in good light. A shade card made with real thread is closer than any printed or on-screen color.

If your key gives DMC numbers, paste them into the thread shopping list to see which you already own. The DMC thread checklist keeps the list of what you have.

Questions people ask

What count is the cloth in my kit? The instructions should say. If not, lay a ruler on the cloth and count the squares along 1 inch (2.5 cm): that number is the count.

Do I have to use the hoop? No. A hoop holds the cloth taut, and many people stitch without one.

Can I put a kit together myself? Yes. Create your own cross stitch kit shows how to do it from any pattern.

Where to go next

Once the threads are sorted, the chart is the next thing to understand: How to read a cross stitch pattern.