Counted Cross Stitch

Counted cross stitch, also known simply as "cross stitch," is the process of making little Xs of thread into a picture. It's known as counted cross stitch because you have to count the number of squares of each color to form the pattern. This is an easy, versatile craft that a person of any age can pick up.

Counted Cross Stitch Basics

Like any other craft, there is some basic knowledge that you will need to know before you get started with cross stitch. Whether you're a novice or an expert, reading up on the basics will help you be more successful.

Patterns

All counted cross stitch starts with a pattern, also known as a chart, that shows you which color to use where on the fabric to make the picture shown. Cross stitching instructions are easy to read and understand with a little practice.

Once you have selected your pattern from a book, magazine, website, or other source, you will need to purchase fabric and thread. Also consider picking up a needle and a hoop if you don't have them already. A hoop is useful to hold the fabric tight, which makes it a little easier to work with.

You can find cross stitch patterns at almost any craft store or print free cross stitch patterns from the Internet.

Fabric

The main types of fabric are Aida and linen. Aida tends to be firmer and is a lot easier to work with. Most stitches start out on Aida (it's easier for some people to see the "squares" where you are supposed to stitch on Aida) and graduate to linen later. It's easier to make half stitches on linen because linen is often stitched across two squares for each stitch. To make a half stitch on Aida, you have to put the needle through the center of a square.

Aida is almost universally cheaper than linen. You can find it in a fair number of colors, and it is widely available at craft stores and even in the craft department of larger discount stores. The background of your piece will look different, too, depending on what kind of fabric you use. But the decision is really yours.

Thread

You also have some choices when it comes to thread. Most patterns will give you a number that corresponds to the color of thread that was used in the original design. This is a DMC number, which refers to a popular brand of embroidery floss that is widely available.

If you want to use a different thread, you can use a chart to help you figure out which DMC thread number belongs to which color.

Where to Buy Supplies and Patterns

You can buy patterns and supplies at almost any local craft store. If you can't find what you want, the Internet is always a great source. Try one of these popular cross stitch supply websites:

Stitching Your Counted Cross Stitch

Once you have all your materials, it's time to start stitching. The easiest way to pick a place to start is to find the center of the pattern and the center of your fabric. To do this, fold the piece of fabric in half both ways. Mark the center square with a pin or a light mark with a washable marker.

You can find the center of the pattern in the same manner. Start from the center and work your way to the edges, changing colors as indicated in the pattern. Sometimes beginners get into trouble because they try to stitch all of one color at once, even if that means leaving big blank spaces. If you don't count right, you'll end up with a pattern that's off kilter or with too much or too little space for the rest of your pattern to fill in. It may seem wasteful to change thread a lot, but if there are big spaces between the areas of a particular color, filling in the space before finishing up stitching that color can save you a lot of grief later.

To help you keep track of where you are in a pattern, highlight rows on the paper pattern as you finish them. That way when you have to stop stitching, you will know where you were when you pick it up again and won't repeat or skip a row and mess up your pattern. It's a good idea to make a photocopy of your pattern before you start so you can mark it up and will still have a clean one in case you want to stitch the same pattern again.

Finishing

There are many possibilities for finishing counted cross stitch projects, but the most popular are framing and making pillows. One main advantage to these options is that no one will see the back of the work if it is hidden in a picture frame or inside a pillow. Other options include stitching linens and bookmarks.

Counted cross stitch is a relaxing hobby for many people and allows you to create something beautiful in your spare time.