The Skeleton Spectre cross stitch pattern

Free patterns · Halloween · A giant skeleton leaning out of the dark, from Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s print Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre (about 1844).

The Skeleton Spectre cross stitch chart, 120 by 80 stitches, 24 colors, DMC 720, 826, 3031, 642, 3750, 543, 646, 3371, 3823, 3047, 645, Ecru, 838, 677, 824, 739, 3864, 822, 310, 3023, 3799, 644, 3777, 722

stitches: 120 × 80
DMC colors: 24
on 14-count: 8.6 × 5.7 in

Want to fix a few stitches?

Draw, erase and fill single stitches, swap or merge colors, clean up strays, and check against your photo.

For when you have a few projects behind you: many colors and soft shading, made from a picture. Free to stitch for yourself, as a gift, or to sell the finished piece.

Stitching tip: Kuniyoshi printed this across three sheets, and the dark upright line is the gap between two of them: stitch it as charted, or fill it with the background color. Stitch the pale bones first so the skull takes shape early.

Made from a picture by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (public domain).

Thread key

Everything to buy for this pattern, by DMC number.

Symbol	DMC	Name	Stitches	Skeins
⊕	720	Orange Spice Dark	77	1
⊠	826	Blue Medium	69	1
■	3031	Mocha Brown Vy Dk	1288	1
□	642	Beige Gray Dark	326	1
▣	3750	Antique Blue Very Dk	125	1
▬	543	Beige Brown Ult Vy Lt	207	1
▮	646	Beaver Gray Dk	182	1
▲	3371	Black Brown	816	1
△	3823	Yellow Ultra Pale	325	1
◆	3047	Yellow Beige Lt	751	1
◇	645	Beaver Gray Vy Dk	201	1
◉	Ecru	Ecru	84	1
○	838	Beige Brown Vy Dk	372	1
●	677	Old Gold Vy Lt	2070	2
◐	824	Blue Very Dark	156	1
◧	739	Tan Ult Vy Lt	137	1
★	3864	Mocha Beige Light	593	1
☆	822	Beige Gray Light	222	1
♣	310	Black	178	1
♥	3023	Brown Gray Light	412	1
✖	3799	Pewter Gray Vy Dk	451	1
✚	644	Beige Gray Med	483	1
⬡	3777	Terra Cotta Vy Dk	8	1
⬢	722	Orange Spice Light	67	1

Finished size

How big it comes out on each Aida count. The cut size adds 3 inches on every side so the fabric fits the hoop.

Fabric	Finished	Cut
14-count Aida	8.6 × 5.7 in (21.8 × 14.5 cm)	14.6 × 11.7 in
16-count Aida	7.5 × 5.0 in (19.1 × 12.7 cm)	13.5 × 11.0 in
18-count Aida	6.7 × 4.4 in (16.9 × 11.3 cm)	12.7 × 10.4 in

How to stitch it

Fold the fabric in half both ways to find the middle, match it to the center of the chart, and work outward. Each square is one full cross in 2 strands of floss.

Thread key

Finished size

How to stitch it

More free patterns

Related tools