Needlepoint guide
Needlepoint thread guide
The right thread covers the canvas and still slips through the holes. Too thin and canvas shows between the stitches. Too thick and every stitch is a struggle.
On this page 6 parts
The rule
Thread should cover the canvas and pass through the holes without force. Mesh sets the size of the hole, so mesh sets the weight of thread: thicker threads for lower mesh counts, finer threads for higher ones. When in doubt, stitch a dozen tent stitches in a corner of the margin and look.
What fits what
| Thread | 10 to 12 mesh | 13 to 14 mesh | 18 mesh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapestry wool (DMC, Appleton, Anchor) | One strand; one shop's chart uses two on 10 mesh | One strand | Not suitable: use a finer thread |
| Persian wool, three separable strands (Colonial, Paternayan) | 3 strands on 10 mesh, 2 on 12 | 2 strands | 1 strand |
| Pearl cotton | Size 3, two strands | Size 3, one strand | Size 5, one strand |
| Six-strand cotton floss | 8 to 10 strands on 10 mesh and 8 on 12 in one shop's chart; one maker's chart does not recommend floss on canvas this coarse | 7 or 8 strands on 13 mesh; 6 or 7 on 14 | 4 to 6 strands: two shops' charts say 4, and one belt maker's chart uses all six |
| Single-strand silk and silk-wool blends | Check the maker's advice | Weights made for 13 mesh | Weights made for 18 mesh |
| Metallic braids and ribbons | Check the maker's advice | Check the maker's advice | Check the maker's advice |
These are starting points. The figures for cotton come from shops' and makers' published charts, which do not all agree, so some cells give a range. Everyone stitches at a different tension, so add or take away a strand until the canvas is covered. Upright stitches such as bargello and brick do not cover as well as slanted ones and may need more strands or a thicker thread. Makers of needlepoint threads say which mesh each thread suits, so look for that before you buy.
The main kinds
Wool is the traditional choice and very hard-wearing, which is why it suits pillows and anything else that has to stand up to use. It is forgiving to stitch with. Tapestry wool is a single twisted strand that is not divided. Persian wool is three thinner strands that you separate and recombine to suit the canvas.
Pearl cotton (also spelled perle) is a twisted cotton with a sheen. It is not meant to be separated. It comes in sizes 3, 5, 8 and 12, and the lower the number the thicker the thread. Size 3 on 13 or 14 mesh and size 5 on 18 mesh are the usual pairings. On 10 and 12 mesh, one shop's chart uses two strands of size 3 together.
Stranded cotton (embroidery floss) is six fine strands. Pull the strands apart one at a time and lay them back together before stitching. They untwist from each other and cover better. Use as many strands as it takes to cover your canvas: published charts start at 4 on 18 mesh and 7 or 8 on 13 mesh.
Silk and silk-wool blends are soft in the hand, and silk has a gentle sheen of its own. Silk is strong, but it is sensitive to water and sunlight, so treat it with more care than wool or cotton.
Metallics, ribbons and novelty threads are for accents: a star, a jewel, a touch of snow.
About the DMC numbers on our charts
Each chart lists a DMC number for every color. Those numbers are for DMC's stranded cotton. DMC pearl cotton uses the same numbers for the shades it is made in, but it comes in fewer shades. DMC tapestry wool uses a different set of numbers, and so do other makers' threads, so for wool or silk, take the chart or a print of it to the shop and match by eye. Thread colors on a screen are approximate at best.
How much to buy
The thread calculator gives an estimate for any area, mesh and stitch, with a thirty percent allowance, and shows how it is worked out. Each pattern page lists how many stitches of the chart are in each color, and the calculator takes one color's count as well as a size.
As a rough estimate, one shop's rule of thumb is a yard and a half (1.4 m) of thread for every square inch (6.5 square cm) of basketweave; the shop names no mesh. One teacher's figures for tapestry wool, also an estimate, are 33 inches (84 cm) of yarn for a square inch on 10 mesh, 53 (135 cm) on 12, 54 (137 cm) on 13 and 58 (147 cm) on 14.
Buy all of a background color at once, from one dye lot: dye lots differ.
Cutting and handling
- Every pass through the canvas wears the thread a little, so cut lengths of about 18 inches (45 cm). Go shorter for silk and metallics.
- Wool has a nap. Stroked one way it feels smooth, the other way fuzzy. Thread the needle so the thread travels through the canvas in its smooth direction. Cotton has a nap too, but it is slight enough to ignore.
- When you need two strands, use two separate strands. Do not fold one strand double in the needle.
- Let the needle hang now and then so the thread can untwist.