Cross stitch guide
Linen for cross stitch
Linen is a cloth woven from flax in single threads that vary a little in thickness. Cross stitch on linen is worked over two threads each way, as on evenweave. 28 count and 32 count are the usual choices.
On this page 10 parts
What linen is
Linen is cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant. It has been used for counted work for centuries, and many old samplers are stitched on it.
Flax does not spin into a perfectly even thread. Some threads in a piece of linen are a little thicker than others, and here and there a thread swells into a small lump called a slub. These are not faults. They are what gives linen its look.
Linen is softer than Aida and hangs in folds. It also creases more easily, frays more easily, and usually costs more.
How linen differs from Aida and evenweave
- Aida is woven in blocks. One cross covers one block, and the holes are easy to see.
- Evenweave is woven in single threads that are all the same thickness. It is stitched over two threads.
- Linen is woven in single threads that are not all the same thickness. It is stitched the same way as evenweave, over two threads.
Linen is no harder to stitch than Aida. It is a different habit: you count threads in twos. The weave is finer to look at, so good light matters more. How to cross stitch on evenweave and linen shows where the needle goes and where to place the first stitch.
Linen counts
The count of linen is its threads to one inch (2.54 cm). Linen is made from about 22 count to 40 count and finer. 28 count and 32 count are the most common.
Worked over two threads, the stitches to the inch are half the count. So to swap Aida for linen, double the count: 28 count linen for 14 count Aida, 32 count for 16 count Aida, 36 count for 18 count Aida.
The table gives the usual needle and strands for each. Published charts differ by one needle size at the finer counts: needle sizes says where.
Linen counts, worked over two threads
| Fabric | Stitches to the inch | 100 stitches measure | Tapestry needle | Strands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 count evenweave or linen, over two | 14 | 7 1/8 in (18.1 cm) | Size 24 | 2 |
| 32 count evenweave or linen, over two | 16 | 6 1/4 in (15.9 cm) | Size 26 | 2 |
| 36 count evenweave or linen, over two | 18 | 5 1/2 in (14.1 cm) | Size 28 | 1 or 2 |
| 40 count evenweave or linen, over two | 20 | 5 in (12.7 cm) | Size 28 | 1 or 2 |
The named kinds of linen
Mills name their linens, and shops and patterns use the names as if everyone knew them. These three, from the mill Zweigart, are common:
- Cashel is its 28 count linen.
- Belfast is its 32 count linen.
- Edinburgh is its 36 count linen.
A name tells you the count and who wove it. It is not a grade. A 32 count linen from another mill gives stitches of the same size. When a pattern asks for a named linen, any linen of that count gives a design of the same size.
28 count fabric and 32 count fabric each have a size chart. The finer counts are on the page of less common fabric counts.
How linen is sold
Linen is cut from the bolt by the yard or meter, or a part of one. Needlework shops also sell it in smaller cuts, such as a fat quarter or a fat eighth. Buy the count first, then the size: work out the stitched size of your design and add a margin on every side.
Linen colors
Linen is sold bleached white, in antique white and cream, and in its own unbleached color, a soft mid-brown often called raw or natural. It is also dyed in many colors. Some is dyed by hand, which gives a ground that varies in shade: see hand-dyed fabric.
On an unbleached ground white thread shows up, which it does not on white cloth. Cross stitch fabric colors has more on choosing a ground.
Before you start
- Bind the edges. Linen frays quickly at a cut edge.
- Use a hoop or frame. Hold the cloth taut, but not so tight that the threads are pulled out of line.
- Sit in good light. A magnifier helps on the finer counts.
Questions people ask
Is linen harder than Aida? Not harder, but slower at first. Once counting in twos is a habit it is the same stitch.
Can a beginner use linen? Yes. 28 count, with a small design, is a good place to start.
Which linen matches 14 count Aida? 28 count, worked over two threads.
Work out your size
The fabric calculator, opened on 100 by 100 stitches on 28 count linen worked over two, gives the stitched size and the piece to cut.