Chain stitches · Easy
Twisted chain stitch
Twisted chain stitch is a chain stitch in which each loop crosses over itself at its base. The crossing gives every link a small slanting twist, so the line looks like a textured rope.
How to work it
Come up on the line
Like chain stitch, it is often worked toward you, from the top of the line down. These pictures run from right to left. Bring the needle up at A, on the line.
Go down beside A, not into it
Put the needle down at B, just to one side of the line and a little ahead of A. Leave a loop on the fabric. Because B is not the hole you came up through, the thread crosses over itself.
Come up inside the loop
Bring the needle up at C, back on the line and one stitch length ahead. Make sure it comes up inside the loop.
Pull the loop snug
Pull the thread through until the loop closes around it. The crossing at the base of the link shows as a small slanted twist.
Start the next link outside the last
Go down at D, on the same side of the line as B and just outside the link you made. Leave a loop, come up at E inside it, and pull snug.
Carry on and anchor the last loop
Keep every link the same length, and always go down on the same side of the line. Finish with a tiny stitch over the end of the last loop.
At a glance
- Also called
- twisted chain
- Used for
- textured outlines; stems and branches; rope-like lines; borders; single twisted loops worked on their own
- Thread
- Pearl cotton suits this stitch. Five or six strands of six-strand floss give a similar look, and fewer strands give a finer line.
- Needle
- An embroidery (crewel) needle with an eye large enough for your thread. A larger needle has a lower number. For pearl cotton, wool or other thick thread, a chenille needle has a longer eye and a sharp point.
Tips
- Always put the needle down on the same side of the line.
- How far B sits from the line sets the look. Close to the line gives a slim, rope-like chain. Farther out gives a wider link with a clear little arm.
- Keep the links fairly short, about 1/8 inch (3 mm).
- Once the stitch feels familiar, you can go down at B and come up at C in one slanting scoop, with the thread crossed and lying under the needle tip.
When it goes wrong
- The links look like ordinary chain stitch
- The needle went down inside the last loop. Go down outside the loop, beside the line, so the thread crosses.
- The loop disappears when I pull
- The needle came up outside the loop. Bring it up at C inside the loop.
- The twists lean in different directions
- Keep B, D and every later point on the same side of the line.
- The line looks loose and loopy
- Pull each loop snug around the thread before you start the next link.
Left-handed
Work from left to right and mirror the diagrams. Hold each loop with your right thumb while your left hand brings the needle up inside it.
Variations
- Chain stitch. The needle goes back down into the hole it came up through, inside the last link, so the loops stay open and round with no twist.
- Detached twisted chain. One twisted loop held down with a small stitch, like a lazy daisy with a crossed base. It can be worked singly or in groups.
- Rope stitch. Twisted chain worked with the stitches much closer together, so the line looks like satin stitch raised along one side.
- Coral stitch. Another textured line, with knots tied along a laid thread instead of linked loops.
Questions
- What is the difference between chain stitch and twisted chain stitch?
- In chain stitch the needle goes back down into the hole it came up through, inside the last link. In twisted chain it goes down beside that point, outside the link, which crosses the thread and twists the loop.
- What is twisted chain stitch used for?
- Textured lines: outlines, borders, stems and branches, on straight lines or curves. A single twisted loop can also be worked on its own.
- How do you end twisted chain stitch?
- The same way as chain stitch. After the last link, take the needle down just outside the end of the loop to make a tiny holding stitch, then fasten off on the back.