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Knots · Easy

French knot

A French knot is a small, round, raised dot made by wrapping the thread around the needle and taking the needle back down through the fabric. It can be used singly, scattered, or packed closely together.

How to work it

  1. Bring the needle up

    The needle comes up through the fabric at point A, where the knot will sit.

    Bring the needle up at A, where you want the knot to sit, and pull the thread all the way through.

  2. Hold the thread taut

    The thread comes out at A and is held taut up and to the left by a thumb. The needle lies across the front of the thread, pointing left.

    With your other hand, pinch the thread a little way from the fabric and hold it taut. Lay the needle across the front of the thread.

  3. Wrap the needle twice

    The thread is wrapped twice around the needle, close to its tip, while the thumb keeps the thread taut.

    Hold the needle close to the fabric and wind the thread around it two times. Keep holding the thread so the wraps stay on the needle.

  4. Go down right beside A

    With the two wraps still on it, the needle tip goes down at point B, right beside A and not in the same hole. The thumb still holds the thread taut.

    Turn the tip back to the fabric and push it in at B, right beside A with a little space between them. Do not use the same hole, or the knot can pull through to the back.

  5. Snug the wraps and push through

    The wraps have slid down the needle and sit snug against the fabric at B. The needle is pushed down through them while the thumb keeps holding the thread.

    Gently pull the held thread so the wraps slide down and sit snug against the fabric. Push the needle through to the back, and keep holding the thread until the last of it follows the needle down.

  6. The finished knot

    A finished French knot: a small round bead of thread sitting on the fabric, next to two knots made earlier.

    The knot sits on the surface as a small raised dot. Bring the needle up wherever you want the next one.

At a glance

Also called
French dot, knotted stitch
Used for
flower centers; single accent dots; textured fillings, packed closely together; lettering
Thread
The weight of the thread sets the size of the knot. More strands of floss, or a heavier thread such as pearl cotton, make a bigger knot. Keep the number of wraps the same and change the thread to change the size.
Needle
A milliner (straw) needle is the easiest choice because its eye is the same width as its shaft, so the wraps slide off cleanly. An embroidery (crewel) needle also works. Pick one just big enough for your thread.

Tips

  • Hold the working thread taut from the first wrap until only the last inch or so (about 2.5 cm) is left to pull through. Letting go early lets the wraps come undone or the thread knot up.
  • For a bigger knot, use more strands or a heavier thread, not more wraps. Two wraps is a common choice and some stitchers use three. Beyond three, the loops come out loose and irregular.
  • Pull the needle through slowly. If it catches, ease your hold on the thread a little so the wraps are snug but not gripping the needle.
  • The knot takes both hands: one for the needle and one to hold the thread. If the needle is in your right hand, hold the thread with your left.

When it goes wrong

The knot pulls through to the back
The needle went back down the same hole it came up through. Always leave a little space between the two.
The knot is loose or has a loop sticking out
Keep the thread taut until the needle is almost through, and slide the wraps down to the fabric before you push the needle in.
The needle gets stuck in the wraps
The wraps are too tight around the needle. Ease your hold slightly, or switch to a milliner needle, whose eye is no wider than its shaft.
The knot sits up on a little loop
The wraps were not against the fabric when the needle went through. Pull the held thread to slide them down first.

Left-handed

Hold the needle in your left hand and keep the thread taut with your right. Mirror the diagrams. Wrap in whichever direction feels natural, since the knot looks the same either way.

Variations

  • Colonial knot. The thread is wrapped around the needle in a figure eight. The knot is a little larger and more raised, and it is the knot used in candlewicking.
  • Pistil stitch. A French knot on a stalk. The needle goes down a short distance from where it came up, leaving a straight stitch with the knot at its end.
  • One-wrap French knot. A single wrap makes a smaller knot.

Patterns that use it

977 patterns use this stitch: all hand embroidery patterns

Questions

How many times do you wrap a French knot?
Twice is a common choice. Some instructions use one wrap and some stitchers prefer three. For a larger knot, add strands of floss instead of more wraps, because beyond three wraps the loops come out loose and irregular.
Why do my French knots pull through the fabric?
The needle went back down the same hole it came up through. Leave a little space between the two, so the knot has fabric to sit on.
What is the difference between a French knot and a colonial knot?
A French knot wraps the thread around the needle in plain turns. A colonial knot wraps it in a figure eight. Colonial knots come out a little larger and more raised. In finished work the two look much alike, and you can use either in place of the other.
Which needle is easiest for French knots?
A milliner needle, also called a straw needle. Its eye is the same width as its shaft, so it passes through the wraps easily. A regular embroidery needle also works.

Where to go next

Stitches

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