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Overview

We’re so excited for you to start stitching one of our Christmas stockings! This is your stitch guide, which will serve as your road map as you work through this project. It is organized into sections so that you can easily navigate to exactly what you need.

Project Details

- Canvas Details: Interlock #13
- Needle Size: Bohin Tapestry #22
- Number of Colors: 0

I believe that anyone can stitch an heirloom and I believe that perfectly imperfect stitching is gorgeous. I include this illustration as a reminder that this is what the design will look like when you’ve finished stitching. So, if you ever get too obsessed with that single weird stitch, take a breath, look at this image, and think about the bigger picture.

Design Image

The Basics of Stitching

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The Basics of Stitching

Using the Right Number of Threads

For a 13-count canvas (which is what you have), I suggest knotting together these amounts:

  • 6-strand metallic: one strand
  • 2-ply crewel wool (like Appletons crewel wool): two strands
  • 4-ply tapestry yarn (like Silk & Ivory): one strand
  • 6-strand embroidery floss: one strand
  • No. 8 perle cotton: two strands

Note: Appletons 2-ply crewel wool is my favorite, and what I provide with most Spider Spun kits.

If you want to play with different threads, here’s a post all about needlepoint thread >

The Basics of Stitching

Choosing the Correct Color

If there is any doubt, like if there seems to be more than one color on an intersection, you should stitch with the color that is most prominent on that intersection. 

The Basics of Stitching

Starting A New Thread

Assuming you’re using two strands, thread a 30-ish inch length through the needle and knot the ends together. When knotted, it should be about the length from your hand to your elbow.

  1. Poke the needle through the front of the canvas about five holes away from where you’ll start stitching. There’s an ugly “waste knot” on the front of the canvas, but you’ll cut it off shortly.
  2. Bring the needle from the back of the canvas to the front at your starting point. There should be a half-inch of thread stretched across the back, connecting the waste knot to your first stitch. 
  3. Stitch toward the knot, encasing the thread tail. Once your stitches reach the waste knot, carefully snip it off from the front.
Tip icon
Pro Tip!

Once you get comfortable stitching and have a few more stitches on your canvas, you won’t need to knot your yarn every single time. You can just thread the needle and make sure the ends are even. Then, pull the needle through a few stitches on the back of the canvas (like how you would tie off a thread), and poke the needle up through the front where you want to begin stitching.

The Basics of Stitching

Ending A Thread

  1. When you have about three inches of thread left on the needle, take your needle to the back of the canvas.
  2. Insert the needle through five or so existing stitches, then pull taut. You may have noticed that this is the reverse of how you started the thread :)
  3. Snip the thread tail just outside the stitches. 

The Basics of Stitching

All About Tent Stitches

The most basic (and classic) needlepoint stitches are called “tent stitches.” Put simply, needlepoint is one diagonal stitch over each intersection of your canvas.

Tent stitches always slant from the lower left to the upper right, like this: /////

There are three types of tent stitches: Half-Cross Stitch, Continental Stitch, and Basketweave Stitch. All look the same from the front, but different on the back of the canvas. Each provides a different amount of structure and coverage.

You don’t have to stick to just one type of stitch for each project. In fact, most of my canvases are a mixture of all three types of tent stitches.

If you are lost in a specific area, you can pop over to the Stitch Guide section to see exactly which stitches I recommend.

Half-Cross Stitch

Half-Cross Stitch

Stitch used for tiny detail areas. I mean, really tiny, like one stitch for a highlight or an eye. This stitch has very little coverage. If it looks thin, I will often stitch back over the stitch again to make the detail pop.

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Continental Stitch

Continental Stitch

I like to use this stitch for any small area. This stitch has medium coverage. It’s not ideal for medium or large areas because it causes the canvas to skew. But if you can't figure out basketweave, you can use this everywhere!

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Basketweave Stitch

Basketweave Stitch

Stitch used for medium to large areas, especially backgrounds. Basketweave should be used on almost all areas with white. It provides more coverage and is more durable than the other tent stitches.

Learn More

Your Stitch Plan

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Your Stitch Plan

Order of Operations

If you’re wondering about which colors or stitches to use on a specific area, here is how I would approach stitching this design. This is certainly not the only way to do it, but if you’re looking at the canvas and wondering where to start, hopefully this helps.

Just remember, there are no needlepoint police — it’s totally okay if you don’t follow these rules. Stitch in a way that makes you happy :)

Design Image

Stitching by area of the canvas

I stitch by “area” of the canvas. Within each area, I first stitch the tiny details, then move on to the small and medium areas. At the very end of each section, I will fill in the larger sections, which are usually backgrounds. The big blocks of color are often the very last thing I complete on any stockings.

My suggested order of operations

1. Dogs (black fur details, main white color of fur, eyes and nose)
2. Ribbons (light color, then darker color)
3. Snowflakes
4. Name area (light color of name, darker accents on name, then nameplate)
5. Background

If you’re a beginner…

If you're a beginner, I recommend you practice your stitches a little first. On this canvas, I would start by trying out the Continental Stitch on the main color of the pet. Then, I would move on to trying out the Basketweave Stitch on a small part of the background. Once you get confident with your stitching, you can move onto whichever area compels you.

Your Stitch Plan

Thread Color Key

Each yarn requires a different amount of strands. Please follow these guidelines to stitch your stocking:

  • Appletons crewel wool: stitch using 2 strands of yarn
  • Silk & Ivory: stitch using 1 strand of yarn
Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement

Step-by-Step Stitch Guide

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Dog

On this canvas, I like to start with the terriers. I would probably start with the ones nearer the bottom toe, because it's the easiest to reach. The canvas is stiff at first, but will soften as you stitch and make it easier to work on the elements in the center of the canvas.

For the fur, the easiest option is to stitch the accent color in Black using Continental, then fill in the main fur color with Bleach, using Basketweave.

If you want to add some more texture, you could stitch the black dots of the Dalmation in French Knots. This will give the dogs a little more personality! But be warned, some people absolutely hate French Knots, so you may want to test them out on the side first! You don't really need to decide now. You could stitch the dots first in Continental and come back at the end of the stocking and add in French Knots, if you'd like to think about it!

Finally, stitch the dog's nose and eyes in Black using Continental or Half-Cross. I would stitch the eyes and nose with one continuous strand (meaning, don't cut between the eyes and the nose), only tying off between the dogs.

Pro tip! You don't have to start a thread with the waste knot method every single time. You can use existing stitches to bury the thread tails. On the back of the canvas, just slip a needle with unknotted thread through about 5 stitches, then bring it up through the front. Be careful not to pull too tightly on that first stitch in case your yarn slips out.

Ribbons

Next, I would move on to the festive ribbons. I'd start with the lighter red tone, stitching in Scarlet using Basketweave, or Continental, if that's easier. Then layer in the darker red tone in Wine, also using Basketweave (or Continental), to create depth and contrast.

Snow

For the delicate snowflakes, stitch them in Bleach using Continental. These little details really make the piece feel magical!

Pro tip! You don't have to tie off between every tiny stitch, if you're using the same color. I am a pretty lazy stitcher, so I usually do not. I do all the stitches for a given color at once, and then tie off when I'm done. I'm just careful to leave enough yarn on the back so the canvas isn't getting distorted by pulling too tightly on the back. It should be just a tiny bit slack on the back.

Name Area

Here's a how-to video showing how I stitch our classic lettering style in Scarlet & Wine, but the same principles apply if you’re stitching a different colorway, or even a different font!

Deep Dive: Stitching Your Name →

I stitch one letter at a time and one color at a time. I tend to tie off between letters, just to keep everything super crisp. I think it’s especially important to do this if you’re stitching a name with a white background. It’s less important if you have a dark background behind the name because the thread tails are unlikely to show through. To keep things easy for myself, I just tie off between letters 🙂

Name

You’re almost there! For the name, I actually change the order I stitch in.

I first stitch the lighter red, main color of the name in Continental, using Scarlet. I keep every letter separate, without long, connecting thread tails. So I would start with a new knot for each letter and tie off each yarn when I’m finished with the letter. This probably isn’t totally necessary, but I want the name to be super crisp, with no chance of thread tails showing through the white name plate.

Finally, I fill in the darker red name accents using Half-Cross to add detail, using Wine.

Nameplate

After you stitch the name, you should fill in the nameplate background.

White yarn is notoriously thin — it’s because there’s no dye to thicken the fibers — so you must stitch in Basketweave. If your yarn is looking very thin, particularly with crewel wool, you may want to add another strand of yarn.

Background

The very last step is to fill in the background. I always save this for the end, as it's like flooding the canvas with the final color once all the detailed work is done. Stitch the entire background in Jade using Basketweave to complete your piece.

Deep Dive: Techniques

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How To: Stitch Your Name

How To: Stitch Your Name

Here’s a stitchalong video of how I generally stitch the names, first with the main color, then with the accent color, stitching one letter at-a-time.

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Decoding Tree Colors

Decoding Tree Colors

Sometimes it can be hard to differentiate the greens of trees. I use a lot of the same color combinations across designs. Here's a guide to help you decode which tree colors go where.

Learn More
All About Finishing

All About Finishing

As you near the end of your project, it’s time to think about “finishing” it. Finishing transforms your stitched canvas from a work-in-progress to a work of art. 

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully these answers help answer your questions! You can also check out our YouTube page or Back of Work blog for more tutorials.

If you're still feeling unsure and need a second pair of eyes, send an email to info@spider-spun.com with pictures (close-up pictures) of the front and the back of your stitching. I will do my very best to help!

  • This depends on the yarn you’re using. Our standard kits use Appletons crewel-weight yarn, so you need to use two strands. To do this, thread your needle and knot both of the ends together. Now you have doubled up your yarn and are stitching with two strands. If you’re using a thicker tapestry-weight yarn, like Silk & Ivory, you only need 1 strand.

    If you want to play with different threads, here’s a post all about needlepoint thread >

  • You should look to the center point — or vertical intersection — your stitch will cross to determine the color. If you still can’t tell, pick the color you think looks best.

  • Make sure to check out the how-to guide for more on stitches, but I mostly use tent stitches for that classic needlepoint look. All these stitches look the same from the front, but have different levels of coverage on the back.

    • Half-Cross: Stitch used for tiny detail areas. I mean, really tiny, like one stitch for a highlight or an eye. This stitch has very little coverage. If it looks thin, I will often stitch back over the stitch again.
    • Continental: I like to use this stitch for any small areas. This stitch has medium coverage.
    • Basketweave: Stitch used for medium to large areas, especially backgrounds. Basketweave is used on almost all areas with white. It provides more coverage and is more durable.

    For detail stitches, especially accent lines, dots, or other tiny details, I break my Tent Stitch habits and embroider over the top of stitches. Some of my favorite stitches to use for this type of work are Stem Stitches and French Knots. Usually by this point, I’ve already stitched over the canvas design, so I use the reference image to estimate the right location.

  • It’s a great question, and one I get a lot. More often than not, there’s not enough stitches to fully encase the thread tails leading to the waste knot, so it can be unwise to clip the knot. The yarn may unravel. You can leave the waste knots to hang out on the front of the canvas until other stitching encases the thread tail leading up to the knot. It will be unsightly for now, but don’t worry about it! You’ll snip them off soon enough.

    You can also stitch a bunch of detail stitches using the same color all at once, so that you don't have to tie off between each one. I would just be careful to limit the thread tails criss-crossing the back to about one inch and be careful of very dark colors that are going to be surrounded by a field of white (like for names). Sometimes you will be able to see dark colors through the white yarn.

  • Dye plumps up fibers, so sometimes white yarn is a bit thinner. This is okay! Wool plumps up when it is blocked and finished. To make sure you get full coverage with white yarn, use Basketweave. If it’s still feeling thin, add another strand!

  • We must mark the edge of a white area, otherwise where would it end?! Stitch over the gray line with the light color next to the line, not gray. Usually, the gray line should be covered with a Cream, Natural, or Bleach yarn.

  • Waste rows are extra stitches around the edge of a design that disappear during the finishing process. If a design has no extra rows, some of the design may be lost when finished. You should ask your finisher about their preferences. If you plan to do your finishing with Spider Spun, we recommend stitching 1-2 waste rows around your project. Use the same color thread as your edge stitches. It’s just a little extension to allow for a seam allowance.

  • I’m a firm believer in the “finish first, edit later” approach to needlepoint. Most of the time, a stitch I thought looked terrible is not noticeable when looking at the end result.

    • If you must fix the stitch now and are only 5-6 stitches past the error, “unwind” the thread by pulling the needle off and using the tip to pick out the stitches out. If the yarn is in okay condition, keep stitching. If it’s gotten scraggly, end the thread and start anew.
    • If you’ve waited to fix your error, cut the offending stitch on the front of the canvas (just the yarn, not the canvas). Use the tip of your needle to unwind a few stitches to the right and the left of the cut. I lay the two ends across the now bare canvas and secure by starting a new thread and stitching over, like the method used to secure a waste knot.

  • You can try to use stitches to make the line a little longer or thicker so that you can stay consistent with stitch direction.
    However, I typically prioritize the drawing direction rather than stitch direction. In these instances (which are very rare), I’ll break the stitch pattern and follow the lines of the drawing in the opposite direction of all other stitches.

  • This is inevitable and totally normal. Don’t fret! Blocking should fix both of these problems (to some extent). During blocking, the fibers will be wet and can be reshaped and the canvas will be straightened out.

    However, there are a couple things you can do to prevent some distortion:

    • Use Basketweave stitch wherever humanly possible
    • Eliminating knots (and subsequent bumps) by using proper starting and ending techniques
    • Limiting canvas distortion by using frames or stretcher bars
    • Keeping thread tension consistent by using the same type and amount of thread throughout

  • As you near the end of your project, it’s time to think about “finishing” it. Finishing transforms your stitched canvas from a work-in-progress to a work of art.

    After you’ve stitched your design, the raw canvas edges and loose threads need to be carefully secured and shaped so that the piece holds together and looks professional. Depending on the project, finishing can involve stretching and blocking the canvas, adding a backing, sewing it into items like stockings, pillows, ornaments, or even mounting it for framing.

    It can be expensive, but after all the stitch work you did, it’s worth the additional cost to get an object you treasure. You can read more about finishing here >

    Spider Spun does have finishing services! Reach out to us to talk through your ideas and get a quote.