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Guides, technique basics, material catalogs and community palettes: everything you need to plan your next project.
Guides
GlossaryCross stitch
- What is Aida count? Choosing a cross stitch fabric countAida count is the number of squares, and so the number of stitches, in one inch of fabric. It sets how big your finished piece will be, how many strands you stitch with, and how easy the holes are to see.
- Aida vs evenweave vs linen: cross stitch fabrics explainedAida, evenweave and linen all hold a cross stitch, but they're woven and counted in different ways, and each feels different under the needle. Which one suits you depends on the project and how much counting you want to do.
- DMC vs Anchor floss: differences and how to convertDMC and Anchor make very similar six-strand cotton floss with completely different color numbers. You can swap one for the other if you check the conversion before you start, not halfway through.
- Cross stitch stitch types: half, quarter, three-quarter and moreMost of a cross stitch pattern is full crosses, but the details live in the partial stitches and the extras on top. Each takes a few minutes to learn once you can spot it on the chart.
- How to turn a photo into a cross stitch patternThe conversion itself takes seconds. The pattern you end up stitching depends on the choices around it: which photo, how many stitches, how many colors, and what you fix by hand afterward.
- How many colors should a cross stitch pattern have?The right number of colors for a cross stitch pattern comes from the design and its size. Every color you add costs something in floss, chart symbols and stitching time.
- How long does a cross stitch take?Nobody can give you one number, because stitching speed varies so much between people and between projects. What you can do is measure your own pace and multiply it against the pattern's stitch count.
- How to fix cross stitch mistakesEvery stitcher unpicks. Most mistakes come out cleanly if you go slowly, and some are better left where they are. Knowing which is which saves a lot of evenings.
- How to wash, press and frame finished cross stitchHow to wash, press, mount and frame a finished cross stitch so it lies flat and lasts. Washing and pressing follow DMC's instructions, and the mounting and glazing advice comes from textile conservators.
Needlepoint
- Needlepoint vs cross stitch: what's the difference?Both crafts are stitched on a grid, often from a chart, which is why they get mixed up. The real differences are the ground you stitch into, the stitch itself, the thread, and how much of the surface ends up covered.
- Needlepoint stitches: tent, basketweave, continental and moreMost needlepoint is tent stitch, but there are three ways to work it, and they wear, distort and use yarn very differently. Decorative stitches take over where tent stitch would look flat.
- How to block and finish needlepointTent stitch pulls canvas out of square, so nearly every needlepoint needs blocking before it becomes a pillow, an ornament or a framed piece. The process is simple, and mostly takes patience and a lot of pins.
Knitting
- How to read a knitting chartA knitting chart is a drawing of the right side of your fabric, one square per stitch. Once you know which way to read the rows, the rest is the key and a little counting.
- Fair Isle vs intarsia: choosing a colorwork methodStranded knitting carries every color in the row across the back of the work. Intarsia gives each patch of color its own strand of yarn. Which one you want depends on where the colors sit in your design.
Crochet
- How to read a C2C crochet graphOn a C2C graph every square is one tile of crochet, worked in diagonal rows from one corner to the opposite one. This guide covers following the diagonals, counting color changes and knowing when to start decreasing.
- Tapestry crochet: carrying colors in single crochetIn tapestry crochet you carry the colors you aren't using inside your single crochet stitches, so the picture shows on both sides with no floats. The stitch is easy to learn. Most of the trouble comes from the stitch shape and the slant.
- Mosaic crochet: how overlay and inset charts workMosaic crochet makes two-color geometric patterns while you only ever work with one color at a time. Overlay and inset mosaic are built differently and their charts read differently, so it pays to know which one a pattern uses.
- How to read a filet crochet chartA filet crochet chart is a grid of open and filled squares, and each one is a few double crochets and chains. Once you know how the squares share their edges and which way each row runs, the chart is easy to follow.
Techniques
Cross stitch
Cross stitch basics
Getting started with cross stitch: fabric, floss, needles, and your first stitch.
ReadAll
How to read a pattern chart
Charts look the same across most grid-based crafts, so learning to read one helps with all of them.
ReadCross stitch
Starting and finishing threads
Clean starts and clean finishes make the back of your work as neat as the front.
ReadCross stitch
Backstitch outlines
Add crisp outlines to define shapes. Usually the last thing you stitch.
ReadCrochet
Crochet for beginners
A complete beginner's guide to picking up a hook and making your first stitches.
ReadKnitting
Knitting for beginners
Everything you need to cast on, knit your first rows, and bind off.
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Materials
Real-world yarn, floss, bead, and tile catalogs. Load any brand as a palette in the editor.
Community palettes
Palettes shared by other makers. Great starting points for your color scheme.
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