Hand embroidery guide
How many strands of floss to use
Two or three of the six strands is the usual place to start. One strand gives a very fine line for delicate detail. Two give a fine line that is still easy to see. Three give a bold line that can still hold detail. Four to six give a heavy, textured line.
If your pattern gives a strand count, follow it. The numbers below are starting points for when it does not.
What six-strand embroidery floss is
Cotton embroidery floss, also called stranded cotton, comes off the skein as one thick thread made of six fine strands. It is made to be pulled apart. You choose how many strands to put back together, and that sets how heavy your stitches look.
DMC and Anchor skeins each hold 8 meters (8.7 yards). Cut into 18 inch (about 45 cm) working lengths, that is about 17 lengths, each with six strands.
Each single strand is two finer plies twisted together. Leave those alone. One strand is the finest you stitch with.
Pearl cotton (also spelled perle) is different. It is a single twisted thread that you use as it comes off the skein or ball, without separating it. DMC makes it in sizes 3, 5, 8 and 12, where 3 is the thickest and 12 the finest. For a heavier line in pearl cotton you move to a thicker size. You do not double it.
How many strands to use, by purpose
| What you are stitching | Strands | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fine outlines, faces, tiny details | 1 | The finest line, with the least bulk. |
| Everyday outlines in back stitch, stem stitch or split stitch | 2 | A fine line that is still easy to see. |
| Bolder outlines | 3 | Bold, and still able to hold detail. |
| Chunky outlines and borders | 4 to 6 | Heavy and textured. All six is the look of chunky back stitch lettering and outlines. |
| Small lettering, about half an inch (1.3 cm) tall or less | 1 to 2 | One strand gives a fine, precise line on letters this small. |
| Larger lettering | 2 to 3 | Use all six for a chunky look. |
| Satin stitch | 1 to 3 | One strand gives the smoothest finish. Two or three give a fuller, more visible fill. |
| Long and short stitch shading | 1 | One strand gives the smoothest finish. |
| French knots | 2 for small knots, 3 or 4 for bigger ones | For a bigger knot, add strands. More than three wraps tend to get unruly. |
| General decorative stitching | 3 to 4 | Use 1 or 2 for delicate, closely spaced stitches and 5 or 6 for bold texture. |
| Visible mending and decorative borders | 4 to 6 | Strong color and heavy coverage. |
| Cross stitch on 14 count Aida | 2 | A common choice for that fabric. |
Four things should move you up or down from these numbers:
- The look you want. Fewer strands make finer lines and more delicate detail. More strands make fuller, bolder, more textured stitches.
- How close the stitches sit. Fine details and closely spaced stitches are easier to control with fewer strands.
- Stitch length. Heavy thread in very small stitches can pucker the fabric even when your tension is right. With all six strands, make each stitch a little longer than you would with three.
- Color. A dark thread on light fabric can look fuller than a pale thread on the same fabric.
Not sure? Stitch a short line on a scrap of the same fabric before you start.
A pattern that says "2 strands" means two strands in the needle. One long strand folded in half, with both cut ends threaded through the eye, also counts as two.
How to separate embroidery floss
- Cut a length of floss about 18 inches (45 cm) long. The distance from your fingertips to your elbow is a handy measure.
- Hold it near one end between your finger and thumb, with a little sticking up above your grip. Tap the cut end so the six strands fan apart.
- Pinch the tip of one strand and pull it straight up and out, steadily, while you keep hold of the rest. The remaining strands bunch up below your fingers. That is normal.
- As soon as the strand comes free, the bunch falls straight again.
- Pull out the next strand the same way until you have the number you need.
- Lay the strands side by side, smooth them, and thread them through the needle together.
Pull one strand at a time, even when you want two or three. Pulling several out together can knot the floss.
Do you have to separate embroidery floss?
It is worth doing every time. Pulling the strands apart and laying them back together untwists them from each other, so they sit side by side instead of twisting into a rope. You get fuller, more even stitches. It matters for satin stitch and any other stitch that is meant to lie smooth and flat.
Which needle for how many strands
Hand embroidery needles, also sold as crewel needles, have a sharp point and a longer eye than a plain sewing needle. They come in sizes 1 to 12, and a higher number is a finer needle.
Published charts do not agree exactly, so this table shows two. The first is DMC's needle guide. The second is the set of working sizes given by a long-running embroidery teaching site.
| Strands of floss | DMC's needle guide | Second published guide | Thickness of those needles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Size 10 | Size 10, or 9 | 0.53 mm (10), 0.61 mm (9) |
| 2 | Size 9 | Size 9, or 7 | 0.61 mm (9), 0.69 mm (7) |
| 3 | Size 8 | Size 7 | 0.61 mm (8), 0.69 mm (7) |
| 4 | Not listed | Size 7 will just manage it | 0.69 mm (7) |
| 5 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| 6 | Size 3 | Not listed | 0.86 mm (3) |
For four or five strands, neither chart names a size. The sizes between DMC's three-strand needle (size 8) and its six-strand needle (size 3) are the ones to try, and the checks below tell you which way to move.
The thickness column is from John James's published size chart. Other makers' needles carry the same numbers at slightly different thicknesses, so treat any size as a starting point.
The real check is how the needle behaves. It should make a hole just big enough for the thread to follow, including the doubled thread at the eye.
- If you have to fight the needle through, the thread makes a loud zipper noise, or the floss goes fuzzy after a short length, the needle is too small. Use a larger needle, which is a lower number.
- If you can see a hole around the thread, the needle is too big. Use a finer needle, which is a higher number.
When you are unsure, choose the larger needle.
For tapestry, chenille and milliners needles, see the needle sizes chart.
Common problems
- The floss knots while you separate it. You pulled more than one strand at once, or the length is too long to manage. Cut about 18 inches (45 cm) and pull strands singly.
- Satin stitch shows fabric between stitches. Bring each stitch up very close beside the last one before you think about adding strands. See satin stitch.
- Lines look ropey and uneven. The strands have twisted around each other. Let the needle and thread dangle now and then so the thread untwists, and separate the strands before threading next time.
- French knots are too small or too big. Wrap the needle once or twice. Change the number of strands to change the size. More than three wraps tend to get unruly. See French knot.
- Small letters fill in and are hard to read. Drop to one strand and keep the stitches small. Whipped back stitch gives a smooth, fine line for small lettering.
- The thread goes thin and fuzzy before you finish a length. It has been pulled through the fabric too many times, or the needle is too small. Use shorter lengths, or a larger needle.
- The thread will not go through the eye. Trim the end cleanly at an angle, try the eye from its other side, use a needle threader, or move to a larger needle.
To see the difference for yourself, stitch the same short line of stem stitch with one, two, three and six strands on a scrap of your fabric and keep it as a reference.