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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: 14

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.

Learn More
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!

Learn More
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. Train cars, beginning with the locomotive
2. Gifts
3. Train ribbons
4. Stars & dots
5. Name
6. 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 gold areas of the train. Then, I would move on to trying out the Basketweave Stitch on the black areas of the train. 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
Rose 205 146 Guava • Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 7 — Bottom Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Leftmost Stack: Main color of gift box
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 4 — Top Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Central Stack: Main color of gift box
Fir 295 107 Dill Pickle Background: Background
Jade 402 84 Asparagus • Stars and Dots - Dots: Background dots
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 2 — Top Car — Yellow, Top Gift on Central Stack: Main color of gift bow
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 6 — Bottom Car — Purple, Top Gift on Leftmost Stack: Main color of gift bow
Periwinkle 463 140 Periwinkle • Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 10 — Bottom Car — Blue, Bottom Gift on Rightmost Stack: Main color of gift box
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 5 — Top Car — Blue, Rightmost Gift: Main color of gift box
Gold 473 88 Dandelion • Train Ribbons: Lighter yellow tone of ribbons
• Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Stars, lighter yellow accents on wheels and side bars, yellow dots on top red bar, and lighter yellow color of the smoke stacks
• Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Light rays, lighter yellow accents on wheels, smokestack and bell, headlight, outline on the front of the engine, yellow bumper
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 2 — Top Car — Yellow, Top Gift on Central Stack: Main color of gift box
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 10 — Bottom Car — Blue, Bottom Gift on Rightmost Stack: Main color of gift bow
Amber 475 175 Nutmeg • Train Ribbons: Darker yellow tone of ribbons
• Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Darker yellow of wheel connectors, horizontal accent line, smokestacks, bells, headlight on black part of train
• Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Wheel side frames, dark yellow accents on stars, dots on white bar, darker yellow accents on smokestacks
Scarlet 503 11 Really Red • Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Wheels, main bright red color of conductor area, very front bumper, and red accents on smokestack
• Name Area - Name: Name main color
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 9 — Bottom Car — Red, Top Gift on Rightmost Stack: Main color of gift box
• Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Wheels, red accents on train
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 3 — Top Car — Red, Middle Gift on Central Stack: Background color of gift
Wine 505 44 Merlot • Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 3 — Top Car — Red, Middle Gift on Central Stack: Dark red accents
• Name Area - Name: Name accents
• Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Dark red accents on wheels, front bumper, and shadows on conductor area
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 7 — Bottom Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Leftmost Stack: Main color of gift bow
• Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Dark red accents on wheels
Robin's Egg 522 159 Beryl • Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 5 — Top Car — Blue, Rightmost Gift: Gift bow and ribbons
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 8 — Bottom Car — Light Blue, Center Gift: Main color of gift box
Wisteria 602 192 Lilac • Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 9 — Bottom Car — Red, Top Gift on Rightmost Stack: Main color of gift bow
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 1 — Top Car — Purple, Leftmost Gift: Main color of gift box
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 6 — Bottom Car — Purple, Top Gift on Leftmost Stack: Main color of gift box
Coral 864 82 Pumpkin • Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 1 — Top Car — Purple, Leftmost Gift: Main color of gift bow
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 8 — Bottom Car — Light Blue, Center Gift: Main color of gift bow
Elephant 974 144 Truffle • Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Undercarriage of train car
• Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Undercarriage
Bleach 991B 02 White • Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 10 — Bottom Car — Blue, Bottom Gift on Rightmost Stack: White highlights on bow
• Stars and Dots - Stars: Stars
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 7 — Bottom Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Leftmost Stack: White highlights on bow
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 8 — Bottom Car — Light Blue, Center Gift: White highlights on bow
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 6 — Bottom Car — Purple, Top Gift on Leftmost Stack: White highlights on bow
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 4 — Top Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Central Stack: White gift bow
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 1 — Top Car — Purple, Leftmost Gift: White highlights on bow
• Gifts on Top Train Car - Gift 2 — Top Car — Yellow, Top Gift on Central Stack: White highlights on bow
• Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Tires, white highlights all over the engine car
• Gifts on Bottom Train Car - Gift 9 — Bottom Car — Red, Top Gift on Rightmost Stack: White highlights on bow
• Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Tires and white highlights on train and stars
• Name Area - Nameplate: Nameplate
Black 993 12 Black • Train Cars - Train Engine Car — Bottom Car: Main color
• Train Cars - Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars: Main color

Step-by-Step Stitch Guide

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Train Cars

There's no right way to do the train cars. You can stitch from top to bottom, or bottom to top. You may want to do all the train cars first, then add the gifts. Or you may want to complete each train car one by one. I would probably do a couple of gifts here, then a train car there — moving around the canvas stitching whatever looks fun :) Regardless of how you choose to stitch, here's a guide to tackle it in a logical way.

Train Engine Car — Bottom Car

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested StitchSpecial Stitch
Gold 473 88 Dandelion Light rays, lighter yellow accents on wheels, smokestack and bell, headlight, outline on the front of the engine, yellow bumper Continental
Bleach 991B 02 White Tires, white highlights all over the engine car ContinentalFrench Knots
Amber 475 175 Nutmeg Darker yellow of wheel connectors, horizontal accent line, smokestacks, bells, headlight on black part of train Continental
Wine 505 44 Merlot Dark red accents on wheels, front bumper, and shadows on conductor area Continental
Scarlet 503 11 Really Red Wheels, main bright red color of conductor area, very front bumper, and red accents on smokestack Continental
Elephant 974 144 Truffle Undercarriage Basketweave
Black 993 12 Black Main color Basketweave

Start with the lighter yellow, gold color. You can stitch the lighter yellow accents all over the train in Gold, using Continental. Those areas are: the outline on the engine, accents on the wheels, smokestack and top of the bell, and headlight on the red bumper. When you get to the yellow bumper, you can switch to stitching in Basketweave, if you'd like. Finish up with the light rays coming from the headlight, which you can also use Continental to stitch. and yellow bumper in Gold using Continental.

For the white tires and white highlights all over the engine car, use Bleach in Continental. When you stitch the dots on the red conductor's area, I would stitch a bunch of the dots at once, without cutting your yarn in between.

If you want to take the stitching to the next level, you can use French Knots for the ribbon dots instead of the Half-Cross stitch. Honestly, there’s no need to decide now, you can stitch them in Half-Cross for the time being and come back in at the end and put French Knots over the Half-Cross stitches 🙂

Move onto the darker yellow accents, using Amber and stitching mostly in Continental. Those accents are: the wheel connectors, the horizontal accent line, smokestacks, bells, and headlight on black part of train. You can use Basketweave on the larger areas like the smokestacks and bells, if you'd like.

Add the dark red accents on wheels, front bumper, and shadows on conductor area in Wine using Continental. Like the other areas, you can also use Basketweave on the bigger sections, like the dark red bumper and the shadows on the conductor area.

Stitch the wheels, main bright red color of conductor area, very front bumper, and red accents on smokestack in Scarlet using Continental or Basketweave, using the same logic as above.

Almost done! Work the undercarriage in Elephant using Basketweave.

Finally, fill in the main color of the train engine in Black using Basketweave.

Gift Cars — Middle & Top Cars

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested StitchSpecial Stitch
Gold 473 88 Dandelion Stars, lighter yellow accents on wheels and side bars, yellow dots on top red bar, and lighter yellow color of the smoke stacks Continental
Bleach 991B 02 White Tires and white highlights on train and stars ContinentalFrench Knots
Amber 475 175 Nutmeg Wheel side frames, dark yellow accents on stars, dots on white bar, darker yellow accents on smokestacks ContinentalFrench Knots
Wine 505 44 Merlot Dark red accents on wheels Continental
Scarlet 503 11 Really Red Wheels, red accents on train Continental
Elephant 974 144 Truffle Undercarriage of train car Basketweave
Black 993 12 Black Main color Basketweave

This area has quite a few details, with lots of thread changes :) A few tips about thread changes for small details:

  • 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
  • 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.

Start with the stars, the lighter yellow accents on wheels and side bars, and the yellow dots on top red bar in Gold, using Continental. For the lighter yellow color of the smoke stacks you may want to switch to Basketweave.

Stitch the white tires and white highlights on train and stars, use Bleach in Continental.

For the darker yellow wheel side frames, dark yellow accents on stars, dots on white bar, and darker yellow accents on smokestacks, stitch in Amber using Continental.

Add the dark red accents on wheels in Wine using Continental.

Next, work on the wheels and red accents on train in Scarlet using Continental.

Stitch the undercarriage of train car in Elephant using Basketweave.

Finally, fill the main color in Black using Basketweave.

Special stitch recommendation: For all of the areas where there are small dots, you may want to add in French Knots to add some extra dimension and texture. Practice a few before going all in to make sure that you want to make that many knots. Some people don't particularly like working this stitch. If you don't want to do all the dots, you can choose a specific color and make French Knots with just that color.

Gifts on Top Train Car

To make this a little easier on myself, I actually reversed my order and stitched the gift boxes first, then the details. This let me bury the thread tails in the existing stitches of the gift box!

Gift 1 — Top Car — Purple, Leftmost Gift

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Wisteria 602 192 Lilac Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Coral 864 82 Pumpkin Main color of gift bow Continental

Work the main color of gift box in Wisteria using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Stitch the main color of gift bow in Coral using Continental.

Gift 2 — Top Car — Yellow, Top Gift on Central Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Gold 473 88 Dandelion Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Jade 402 84 Asparagus Main color of gift bow Continental

Fill the main color of gift box in Gold using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Work the main color of gift bow in Jade using Continental.

Gift 3 — Top Car — Red, Middle Gift on Central Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Wine 505 44 Merlot Dark red accents Continental
Scarlet 503 11 Really Red Background color of gift Continental

Stitch the dark red accents in Wine using Continental.

Fill the background color of gift in Scarlet using Continental.

Gift 4 — Top Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Central Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Bleach 991B 02 White White gift bow Continental
Rose 205 146 Guava Main color of gift box Basketweave

Work the white gift bow in Bleach using Continental.

Fill the main color of gift box in Rose using Basketweave.

Gift 5 — Top Car — Blue, Rightmost Gift

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Robin's Egg 522 159 Beryl Gift bow and ribbons Continental
Periwinkle 463 140 Periwinkle Main color of gift box Basketweave

Stitch the gift bow and ribbons in Robin's Egg using Continental.

Fill the main color of gift box in Periwinkle using Basketweave.

Gifts on Bottom Train Car

Gift 6 — Bottom Car — Purple, Top Gift on Leftmost Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Wisteria 602 192 Lilac Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Jade 402 84 Asparagus Main color of gift bow Continental

Work the main color of gift box in Wisteria using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Stitch the main color of gift bow in Jade using Continental.

Gift 7 — Bottom Car — Pink, Bottom Gift on Leftmost Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Rose 205 146 Guava Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Wine 505 44 Merlot Main color of gift bow Continental

Fill the main color of gift box in Rose using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Work the main color of gift bow in Wine using Continental.

Gift 8 — Bottom Car — Light Blue, Center Gift

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Robin's Egg 522 159 Beryl Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Coral 864 82 Pumpkin Main color of gift bow Continental

Stitch the main color of gift box in Robin's Egg using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Work the main color of gift bow in Coral using Continental.

Gift 9 — Bottom Car — Red, Top Gift on Rightmost Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Scarlet 503 11 Really Red Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Wisteria 602 192 Lilac Main color of gift bow Continental

Fill the main color of gift box in Scarlet using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Stitch the main color of gift bow in Wisteria using Continental.

Gift 10 — Bottom Car — Blue, Bottom Gift on Rightmost Stack

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Periwinkle 463 140 Periwinkle Main color of gift box Basketweave
Bleach 991B 02 White White highlights on bow Continental
Gold 473 88 Dandelion Main color of gift bow Continental

Work the main color of gift box in Periwinkle using Basketweave.

Add white highlights on bow in Bleach using Continental or Half-Cross.

Fill the main color of gift bow in Gold using Continental.

Train Ribbons

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Gold 473 88 Dandelion Lighter yellow tone of ribbons Basketweave
Amber 475 175 Nutmeg Darker yellow tone of ribbons Basketweave

Stitch the lighter yellow tone of ribbons in Gold using Basketweave.

Work the darker yellow tone of ribbons in Amber using Basketweave.

Stars and Dots

Dots

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Jade 402 84 Asparagus Background dots Continental

Stitch the background dots in Jade using Continental.

Stars

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Bleach 991B 02 White Stars Basketweave

Work the stars in Bleach using Basketweave.

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

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Scarlet 503 11 Really Red Name main color Continental
Wine 505 44 Merlot Name accents Half-Cross

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

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Bleach 991B 02 White Nameplate Basketweave

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

Color Appletons Silk & Ivory Placement Suggested Stitch
Fir 295 107 Dill Pickle Background Basketweave

You're almost finished! Stitch the background in Fir using Basketweave.

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.

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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. 

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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.