How to Start and End Cross Stitch Thread Without Knots

In sewing you tie a knot at the end of the thread. In cross stitch you usually don't: knots make lumps that show through when the piece is framed or pressed, and they can pull through Aida's large holes. Instead, the thread is held in place by the stitches themselves. Here are three ways to start and one way to finish.

Method 1: the loop start

The neatest start, and the quickest once you have tried it. It only works when you stitch with an even number of strands, such as the usual 2.

1. Take one strand twice as long as you want to stitch with, about 36 inches.
2. Fold it in half and thread both cut ends through the needle. The fold makes a loop at the other end.
3. From the back, bring the needle up through the bottom left of your first square. Leave the loop hanging at the back; don't pull it through.
4. Go down through the top right of the square to make the first half of the cross.
5. On the back, pass the needle through the waiting loop and pull gently. The thread is now locked in place.

Carry on stitching as normal. You now have two strands in the needle, held by the loop.

Method 2: the away waste knot

This works with any number of strands and is handy for the first thread of a new piece.

1. Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
2. From the front, push the needle down through the fabric about 2 inches away from where you will start, in the direction you will be stitching. The knot sits on top of the fabric.
3. Come up at your first stitch and stitch towards the knot. On the back, your stitches cover the tail of thread.
4. When the stitches reach the knot, snip the knot off on the front. The tail is already secured underneath.

If the knot is far from your stitching, pull the tail to the back after cutting the knot and weave it under a few stitches instead.

Method 3: stitch over the tail

The simplest method, and fine for beginners.

1. Bring the needle up from the back, leaving a tail of about 1 inch hanging behind.
2. Hold the tail flat against the back of the fabric, pointing along the row you are about to stitch.
3. Make your first four or five stitches so they cross over the tail on the back and trap it.
4. Trim any tail that is still sticking out.

Ending a thread

When you have about 3 inches of thread left, or you finish an area of one color:

1. Bring the needle to the back of the fabric.
2. Slide it under the backs of three or four stitches nearby, ideally of the same or a darker color.
3. Pull it through and trim close to the stitches.

On a big area of one color you can also start a new thread by sliding it under existing stitches in the same way, so there is no tail to deal with at all.

Tips for a tidy back

• Don't jump more than about three squares across the back with a dark thread behind light fabric; it shows through. End the thread and start again instead.
• Keep threads to about 18 inches. A shorter thread tangles less and keeps its sheen.
• If the thread twists while you stitch, let the needle dangle freely from time to time so it unwinds.

These steps also appear briefly in cross stitch for beginners. For a first project to practice on, try the two hearts, which use a single color, or the small heart with three.