Start cross-stitch
Every picture in cross-stitch is made of one stitch: a tiny X, counted from a chart onto fabric with a grid of holes. If you can count to ten, you can do it. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first heart.
Space neededA comfy chair and good light
First projectA little heart in a hoop
Skill levelEasy to learn
Good forEvenings, travel, gifts
The video that hooks everyone
Cross-stitching 101: getting started
A close-up, getting-started lesson in cross-stitch, with red thread stitched in neat diagonal rows on white Aida cloth. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't. It all fits in a zip bag.
Starter kit
0114-count Aida clothFabric woven in little squares with holes at the corners. Fourteen squares to the inch is easiest to see.
02Wooden hoop, 5 in.Holds the fabric tight while you stitch.
03Six-strand cotton flossThree or four colors to start. You'll split it into two strands.
04Tapestry needles, size 24A blunt tip slips through the holes without splitting threads.
05Small sharp scissorsSnip floss close.
06Graph paper and a pencilFor planning your own little designs.
07Masking tapeStops the fabric edges fraying.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Knots on the backKnots make lumps and can pull through. Start with a loop or a tail and weave it in.
- 2Crossing stitches different waysEvery top stitch should lean the same way. Mixed crosses look messy even when the count is right.
- 3Losing your place on the chartMark off each part of the chart as you finish it, and count twice before you stitch a long row.
