How to Start and End a Thread in Cross Stitch

Every thread you use has to be anchored twice, once at the start and once at the end, and you will do it hundreds of times in a single project. Doing it well costs no extra time and is the difference between a back that lies flat under glass and one full of bumps.

The rule underneath all of it: no knots. A knot is a hard lump that shows through the front once the piece is mounted and pressed, and it can work loose over years. Everything below is a way of anchoring thread without one.

The loop start

This is the cleanest method there is, and it works whenever you are stitching with an even number of strands, which for most projects means two.

1. Cut a length of floss twice as long as you normally would, about 90 cm.
2. Separate out a single strand of that long length.
3. Fold it in half. You now have two strands with a loop at one end and two tails at the other.
4. Thread the two cut tails through the needle, leaving the loop hanging free.
5. Bring the needle up from the back, leaving the loop underneath.
6. Make the first diagonal of your stitch and take the needle back down.
7. Before pulling tight, pass the needle through the loop on the back and then pull. The thread locks itself against the fabric.

The result is completely flat, takes two seconds, and cannot come undone. Use it by default for two-strand stitching.

It does not work for an odd number of strands, or for backstitch worked with a single strand, which is where the next method comes in.

The away waste knot

The workhorse method for odd strand counts and for starting in an area with no existing stitches.

1. Tie a knot in the end of the thread.
2. Take the needle down through the front of the fabric, about 8 cm away from where you want to start, in a direction you will be stitching towards.
3. Come up at your starting point and stitch normally. The knot sits on the front of the fabric, well out of the way.
4. As you work, the thread on the back gets covered by the stitches you make over it, anchoring it.
5. When you reach the knot, snip it off at the surface and thread the loose tail onto a needle. Run it under a few stitches on the back and trim.

The word "away" matters. Placing the knot in the direction you are heading means your own stitching secures the tail for free. Placing it behind you means you have to anchor the tail by hand later.

The pin stitch

Useful when there is nothing nearby to anchor under and you do not want a tail on the front at all, for example when starting a lone area of backstitch.

1. Come up at your starting point, leaving a short tail on the back.
2. Take a tiny stitch over one or two fabric threads, going back down almost where you came up, catching the tail behind.
3. Come up again and repeat once in the opposite direction.
4. Begin stitching normally. The crossed tiny stitches trap the tail.

It is nearly invisible from the front and completely flat. It takes a little practice to keep the pin stitch small enough to hide under the first proper stitch.

Anchoring under existing stitches

Once an area is partly filled, starting a new thread is trivial: slide the needle under four or five stitches on the back, in the same colour family where possible, then come up and begin. Pull gently so you do not distort the front.

Two cautions:

• Match the colour. A dark thread run under pale stitches shows through the front, especially on white Aida under a bright lamp.
• Go under the stitches, not through them. Splitting an existing thread makes the front look fuzzy and makes any future unpicking much harder.

Ending a thread

Finishing is the same move in reverse, and the goal is the same: flat, secure, invisible.

1. Turn the work over.
2. Run the needle under four or five stitches on the back, following the direction those stitches lie in.
3. For extra security on a thread that will not be crossed later, reverse direction and go back under two of them.
4. Trim close, about 3 mm. Do not leave long tails, they migrate and show up on the front.

Under four stitches is enough for a thread that is fully surrounded. If you are ending in a sparse area with only one or two neighbours, use a pin stitch instead.

Why not just tie it off

Because the knot is a bump. Once the finished piece is pressed and mounted flat against a board behind glass, every bump on the back becomes a visible dimple on the front. This is also why long carried threads matter: anything with thickness telegraphs through.

Carrying thread between areas

You do not need to end and restart for every small gap in the same colour.

• Under 2 cm: carry the thread, and run it under existing stitches if any lie on the route.
• Over 2 cm: end the thread and start again. The float will sag, show through pale fabric, and snag when you handle the piece.
• Across an empty area with nothing to hide under: always end and restart, no matter how short the gap.

Dark thread on pale fabric is the case where this shows most. When in doubt with a strong contrast, end the thread.

Quick reference

Situation	Method
Two strands, fresh area	Loop start
One or three strands, fresh area	Away waste knot
Lone backstitch, nothing to anchor under	Pin stitch
Area already partly stitched	Run under existing stitches
Ending anywhere with neighbours	Under 4 to 5 stitches, trim to 3 mm
Ending in a sparse area	Pin stitch

None of this is fussy once it is habit, and it is what separates a back you are happy to show from one you hide. More first-project groundwork in the beginner's guide.