Counted Cross Stitch is fun and easy to learn and is a rewarding hobby. It is a needlecraft that allows you to create a colorful design on a piece of unmarked evenweave fabric by simply counting stitches as indicated on a pattern which is usually printed on graph paper. Counted Cross Stitch is a unique art that allows anyone, with or without artistic ability, to produce a thing of beauty, and those who devote their hobby hours to cross stitching find their time and efforts well rewarded. The supplies needed to enjoy Counted Cross Stitch are few and not very expensive.
Stitches
Stitches are worked diagonally across this grid in both directions to form an “X”. Stitchers who use the traditional method complete each X as they go. Stitchers who use the Danish method do the bottom stitches first, and complete the X’s as they return.
Fabric
Counted needlework is a wonderful way of creating pictures on fabric. Counted Cross Stitch is most commonly done on an even-weave cotton fabric called Aida cloth, which is woven in squares for easy counting and placement of stitches. Aida cloth is a type, not a brand-name, of woven fabric.
Before beginning to stitch, find the center of your fabric. An easy way to do this is to fold the fabric in half vertically and “pinch” with your finger to make a small crease. Open the fabric, fold in half horizontally and make another “pinch.” The two creases will mark the center of the fabric.
A plastic embroidery hoop is helpful to hold the fabric while you stitch. Remove the fabric from the hoop when you are not stitching to keep from getting ‘hoop marks.’
Embroidery Floss
Counted Cross Stitch is worked using embroidery floss, available in hundreds of shades, and hundreds more can be created by using two threads of different colors together in one needle. Embroidery floss comes in small skeins of six-ply thread. Typically, you use only two or three strands at a time for stitching and 1 strand for backstitching. A useful way of storing floss for a project are floss bags which are zip-lock bags with two holes for keeping the bags on a pair of rings in a book-fashion.
Counted Cross Stitch Patterns
Counted Cross Stitch patterns are printed on grids and cross stitch fabric looks like a grid, so it is easy to match the squares you’ll use to form the X’s from the pattern to the fabric. Counted Cross Stitch patterns are available in every theme or style imaginable. You can buy the patterns alone, to use with your own selection of Aida cloth and embroidery floss, or buy complete kits that contain everything you need to finish your project. Click here for some free patterns to get you started.
Counted Cross Stitch kits
A Counted Cross Stitch kit is a collection of all the materials you need to cross stitch a design. Counted Cross Stitch kits usually contain the chart, fabric and threads, specialty threads and beads, a needle, full instructions, and a picture of the finished item.
