How to start and finish cross-stitch threads without knots

Knots on the back of cross-stitch leave lumps that show once a piece is framed or pressed, and they can pull through the fabric. Instead, stitchers anchor their thread under the stitches themselves. Here are the three most useful ways to start, and how to finish off.

The loop start

This is the neatest start, but it only works when you’re stitching with an even number of strands, such as two.

1. Separate a single strand about twice the length you’d normally use.
2. Fold it in half and thread both cut ends through the needle, leaving a loop at the other end.
3. Bring the needle up from the back where your first stitch begins, leaving the loop hanging at the back.
4. Make the first half of the stitch, taking the needle back down through the fabric.
5. At the back, pass the needle through the loop and pull gently. The thread is now anchored.

The waste knot

This works with any number of strands.

1. Tie a knot in the end of your thread.
2. Take the needle down through the front of the fabric about 3 cm from where you’ll start, in the direction you’ll be stitching, so the knot sits on the front.
3. Bring the needle up at your starting point and stitch towards the knot, covering the thread that runs along the back.
4. Once the thread is held under several stitches, snip the knot off the front of the fabric.

Tucking in the tail

The simplest method of all.

1. Bring the needle up from the back, leaving a tail of about 3 cm.
2. Hold the tail flat against the back of the fabric, in the direction you’re stitching.
3. Work your first few stitches over it, so they catch the tail and hold it in place, then trim any excess.

Finishing a thread

When you’re near the end of a length, or have finished with a colour:

1. Take the needle through to the back of the work.
2. Slide it under the backs of three or four stitches, ideally of the same colour.
3. Pull it through gently and trim the thread close.

Finishing under stitches of the same colour stops a dark thread from showing through behind a pale area.

A few habits that help

• Work with lengths of about 45 to 50 cm (18 in). Longer threads tangle and wear thin.
• Avoid carrying thread across the back over gaps of more than a few stitches, especially on pale fabric where it can show through. Finish off and start again instead.
• Every so often, let the needle hang and spin to untwist the thread. It keeps your stitches lying flat.