Hermit crab in a spiral shell with a raised claw cross stitch pattern

50 × 29 stitches 8 colors 3.6 × 2.1 in on 14-count

A PDF for 14-count on US Letter paper: overview, symbol charts and thread list. Change the count or paper

You will need

Fabric: 14-count Aida, cut 10 × 9 in (the design is 3.6 × 2.1 in; 14-count has 14 squares to the inch)
Needle: Tapestry, size 24
Thread: 8 DMC colors, 2 strands at a time (DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers charts use)

Your thread palette: 8 threads ↓

DMC 951 Light Tawny
DMC 938 Ultra Dark Coffee Brown
DMC 321 Red
DMC 921 Copper
DMC 815 Medium Garnet
DMC 3827 Pale Golden Brown
DMC 350 Medium Coral
DMC 3865 Winter White

Want to make it yours? opens this chart in the pattern maker, where every stitch can be changed too. Or download it just as it is.

Fabric count and finished sizeCount is the number of squares per inch. Higher count makes the same design smaller; the stitches and thread colors stay the same. Sizes shown are the stitched area; allow extra fabric for finishing.

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About this pattern

A red hermit crab walking to the left with its borrowed shell on its back. The shell is a round cream sea-snail shell with one copper-orange spiral line winding in to its middle and a band of golden tan shade down its right side and along the bottom. The crab comes out from under the edge of the shell: a red head with a darker red underside, two dark eyes on short stalks, each with a white glint, one big claw raised in front with two fingers and an open gap between them, and three thin legs in a darker red.

50 stitches wide by 29 high: 853 full cross stitches in 8 DMC colors (Light Tawny 951, Ultra Dark Coffee Brown 938, Red 321 and 5 more).

Finished size by fabric count
Fabric	Inches	Centimeters
11-count Aida	4.5 × 2.6	11.5 × 6.7
14-count Aida, or 28-count over two	3.6 × 2.1	9.1 × 5.3
16-count Aida, or 32-count over two	3.1 × 1.8	7.9 × 4.6
18-count Aida	2.8 × 1.6	7.1 × 4.1
22-count Hardanger	2.3 × 1.3	5.8 × 3.3

Sizes are the stitched area. Add about 3 inches (7.5 cm) on every side when you cut your fabric.

The fabric color changes the preview only: every cross matches your chart.

Thread list & pattern notes

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“Find it” opens a search for that thread on Amazon, in a new tab. Floss Field is not affiliated with DMC or Amazon.

Symbol	Thread	Stitches	Buy
●	DMC 951 Light Tawny	257	Find it
X	DMC 938 Ultra Dark Coffee Brown	167	Find it
▲	DMC 321 Red	164	Find it
+	DMC 921 Copper	87	Find it
■	DMC 815 Medium Garnet	83	Find it
O	DMC 3827 Pale Golden Brown	77	Find it
◆	DMC 350 Medium Coral	16	Find it
=	DMC 3865 Winter White	2	Find it

Suggested DMC colors. Screen colors are approximate. Full crosses only; no backstitch or fractional stitches. Previews show the exact chart.

Print the chart (opens the PDF in a new tab)

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New to cross stitch? How to cross stitch

Count is the number of squares to the inch: 14-count fabric has 14, and a higher count makes the same design smaller. DMC is the thread maker whose color numbers most charts use.