Scroll stitch

How to work it

1. Come up at the start

   

   Scroll stitch is worked from left to right. Bring the needle up at A, at the left end of the line.

2. Throw a loop and go down inside it

   

   Lay the working thread to the right in a clockwise loop over the line. Put the needle down at B, inside the loop and just above the line.

3. Come up just below the line

   

   Bring the needle up at C, just below the line and slightly back toward A. It must come up inside the loop as well, so the loop lies around the needle.

4. Tighten the loop and pull through

   

   Pull the loop snug around the needle, then pull the needle and thread through. The loop closes into a small knot on the line.

5. Repeat along the line

   

   Throw the next loop a short way along and tie the next knot. The thread between the knots lies in a soft curve. Space the knots evenly.

At a glance

Also called

single knotted line stitch

Used for

wavy outlines and borders; decorative lines and curves; stems; fillings worked in rows

Thread

Scroll stitch suits a fairly heavy thread that keeps its shape, such as pearl cotton. With six-strand floss, three strands give a bold line.

Needle

An embroidery (crewel) needle with a sharp point. Choose a larger needle, which has a lower number, for thicker thread. A chenille needle, which has a long eye and a sharp point, suits wool and other heavy threads.

Tips

• Tighten the loop around the needle before you pull the needle through.
• The thread between the knots should lie in a curve, not a straight line. That curve is what sets scroll stitch apart from coral stitch.
• Keep the tiny stitch from B to C short and at the same slant every time, so the knots match.
• A fairly heavy thread that keeps its shape shows this stitch well.
• Once the stitch feels familiar, you can go down at B and come up at C in one small scoop, with the loop passing under both ends of the needle.

When it goes wrong

No knot forms

The needle went down or came up outside the loop. Both B and C must be inside it, so the loop lies around the needle.

The knots are loose and loopy

Snug the loop against the needle first, then pull the needle through while holding the stitch in place with your thumb.

The knots look different from one another

Take the small stitch at the same angle each time. Changing the angle of the needle changes the look of the knot.

Left-handed

Work from right to left and mirror the diagrams. Throw the loop to the left, counterclockwise, and take the tiny stitch slanting the other way.

Variations

• Coral stitch. The thread is laid straight along the line and the knot is tied over it, so the line between the knots is straight instead of wavy.
• Scroll stitch filling. Rows of scroll stitch worked one under another, with the knots of each row set between those of the row before.
• Double knot stitch. Also called Palestrina stitch. Each knot is made in two movements over a small straight stitch, which gives a fuller, more raised knotted line.