Whipped back stitch rope ring hand embroidery pattern

Easy · 3 colors · 2 kinds of stitch

Whipped back stitch rope ring: preview of the stitched design

A rope is plaited into a ring, passing over and under itself all the way round, with eight loops on the outside and an open center. The rope is a band of three lines: the edges of the rope are navy and the middle line of the rope is gold, and each line stops where the rope runs under itself. Whipped back stitch does most of the work: both edges and the middle line are whipped back stitch. Sixteen red French knots sit in the loops of the rope, eight in the loops on the outside and eight in the loops nearer the center.

Size and details

Easy. Simple stitches in three colors.

3 colors of floss and 2 kinds of stitch:

The stitched size, by hoop
Hoop	Inches	Centimeters
3 in (8 cm)	1.7 × 1.7 in	4.3 × 4.3 cm
4 in (10 cm)	2.6 × 2.6 in	6.6 × 6.6 cm
5 in (13 cm)	3.4 × 3.4 in	8.6 × 8.6 cm
6 in (15 cm)	4.3 × 4.3 in	10.9 × 10.9 cm
8 in (20 cm)	6 × 6 in	15.2 × 15.2 cm

In a 3 inch hoop the French knots are drawn smaller than about 2 mm (a little over 1/16 in). Use one strand of floss for them there, or choose a larger hoop.

The pattern is drawn inside a circle about half an inch (1.3 cm) smaller all around than the hoop.

What you need

DMC 336 Navy BlueEdges of the rope
DMC 3852 Very Dark StrawMiddle line of the rope
DMC 304 Medium RedKnots in the loops of the rope

The floss is six-strand cotton; the stitch guide says how many strands to use. You also need a hoop, an embroidery needle (a size 7 to 9 suits two or three strands) and plain cotton or linen fabric. To frame the piece in its hoop, cut a square 3 inches (8 cm) wider than the hoop: a 9 inch (23 cm) square for a 6 inch hoop.

Stitch guide

Whipped back stitch 2 strandsEdges of the rope, middle line of the rope
French knot 2 strands, two wrapsKnots in the loops of the rope

Getting it onto your fabric

The PDF holds the pattern twice at actual size: once as drawn, and once mirrored for an iron-on transfer pen. Print it at 100% with scaling off and check the one-inch square (25.4 mm) with a ruler before you trace. How to transfer a pattern explains tracing, carbon paper and the other ways. The files are under Downloads.