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Box and diagonal stitches · Easy

Byzantine stitch

Diagonal stitches of one length worked in a staircase: several across, then several down. Shown here over two intersections; it is often worked longer, over four.

Byzantine stitch: the finished stitch on canvas, 39 stitches, all slanting up to the right, in two colors
The finished stitch on canvas. Every stitch runs from one hole to another; the two colors are only there to tell the stitches apart. In the steps, new stitches are red, and the numbers give the order: up at an odd number, down at the next even one.

How to work it

  1. Work four stitches across

    Byzantine stitch, step 1: the first four stitches on the canvas. Numerals 1 and 2 mark the ends of the first new stitch, in working order.

    Working left to right, make four diagonal stitches side by side, each over two intersections: up at the lower left, down at the upper right.

  2. Work three more going down

    Byzantine stitch, step 2: seven stitches on the canvas, the three this step adds in red.

    Then work the same stitch one below the other, moving down for three more. The stitch at the turn is the corner and belongs to both runs.

  3. Repeat to make a staircase

    Byzantine stitch, step 3: 15 stitches on the canvas, the eight this step adds in red.

    Repeat across and down to make a staircase. Above the first stitch the staircase runs on the same way; the patch in these pictures has room there for one stitch.

  4. More staircases on either side

    Byzantine stitch, step 4: 39 stitches on the canvas, the 24 this step adds in red.

    Fit more staircases against the first, on either side. The corner stitches of neighboring staircases meet end to end in one hole. The pictures show whole stitches only, a patch of the pattern: at the edge of an area, fill the gaps that are left with shorter stitches.

At a glance

Used for
large backgrounds; zigzag texture; water
Coverage
Full
Direction
Slanted up to the right
Stitch length
Over 2 intersections

Byzantine is flat, covers the canvas quickly and has a strong zigzag movement. The repeat is large, so it shows best over a big area such as a background.

Sources agree on the staircase and differ on its size. Some chart each stitch over two intersections and others over four, and the steps run four or five stitches long. One teacher treats four stitches to a step as the original, the count the Embroiderers' Guild of America accepts for its Master Craftsman program in canvas embroidery. She also knows it as step stitch.

The stitch reads as a diagonal, and the eye follows it. That is why it is suggested for large bodies of water, where the steps suggest waves coming ashore, and why one shop calls it a very busy stitch for places where you want a lot of movement. It is used for clothing too: the slant can be reversed so the steps lean the other way, which lets two sleeves, or the two front panels of a robe, mirror each other.

It pairs with tent stitch: in Jacquard stitch, a stepped row of tent stitch runs between each staircase of Byzantine and the next.

Tips

  • Where a full stitch will not fit against an edge, work a shorter one to fill the gap.

When it goes wrong

Losing the count at the corners.
The stitch at each turn belongs to both runs: the last stitch across is also the first stitch down. Count it once. Then check each new staircase against the one before, since the corner stitches of neighboring staircases should meet end to end in one hole.
The pattern does not show.
Byzantine needs room. One teacher's rule is that three repeats of a pattern should fit in the space. If they do not, the stitch is too large for it.

Variations

  • Jacquard stitch. Rows of Byzantine alternating with stepped rows of tent stitch, which makes zigzag stripes that are wide and narrow in turn. One stitch reference calls it a development of Byzantine.

Questions

How many stitches go in each step?
Four, counting the shared corner stitch, by one teacher's and one shop's instructions, and five by one stitch reference's.
Can Byzantine stitch slant the other way?
Yes. Reverse every stitch and the staircase leans to the left.

Where to go next

Stitches

Guides