All about Cross-Stitch Needles

I do cross stitch from time to time, but I haven’t ever given much thought to the supplies I use to do it. I have always used whatever I happened to have access to, including whatever needle was nearby.

That means I’ve done cross stitch with sewing needles, and with blunt needles meant for yarn, too.

But did you know there are different kinds of needles that are just for cross stitch and embroidery?

Tapestry needles are the needles that are made for working cross stitch and embroidery, and just like my yarn needle, they aren’t sharp, though tapestry needles meant for cross stitch are smaller than the ones used to seam knitting or crochet projects.

In fact there’s a range of sizes, and it’s best to use different needles depending on the size of fabric you’re using. Which makes sense, because different sized fabric has slightly different sized holes for the needle to go through.

Gathered has a great guide to tapestry needle sizes, but in general as the count of the fabric goes up, the number size of the needle also goes up, but that means that the needle itself is getting smaller. So for example for working on 14 count fabric you’d want to use a size 24 needle, whereas for 16 count fabric you’d use a 26, which is actually a little smaller.

Larger holes in your cross stitch fabric can accommodate larger needles, and if you’re stitching on something like burlap you can use a large needle like my yarn needle. When stitching on fabric instead of cross-stitch cloth, you’ll want to use a smaller needle or go to a sharper sewing needle if you’re having trouble piercing the fabric (which may happen if you’re stitching on a thick fabric).

Do you pay attention to the type of needle you use when you cross stitch? Have you found there’s a difference when working with different fabrics? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Stitched Modern.]

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Non Stop Stitch is an Etsy shop based in Ukraine with a dizzying quantity and variety of cross stitch patterns.

They tend to the cute/whimsical and colorful, with lots of flowers, animals, fantasy designs and some classic Ukraine inspired motifs.

How about this super sweet Ukrainian boy and girl design? With folk inspired clothing and adorable animals, these characters can be stitched together on one piece or separately. The images were designed by Nadiia Nagorna. The boy measures 50 by 96 and uses 22 colors and blends, while the girl is 62 by 94 stitches and uses 27 colors and blends.

Both projects involve full and half cross stitches, as well as backstitch and French knots. They are classified as intermediate patterns.

The largest category on the site is Christmas patterns, with more than 200 options, ranging from cute animals to ornaments, Santas, snowmen and more. There are also plenty of patterns for both Easter and Halloween if you like seasonal stitches.

In addition you’ll find lots of animal designs, from bears and foxes to cats and dogs, mice and elephants, birds, bunnies and bugs. And extensive flowers and plants section includes pretty bouquet cross stitch patterns, stitched wreaths and seasonal scenes, as well as food cross stitch patterns, like a swag of chili peppers, mushrooms on a postage stamp, persimmons and cherries.

The fantasy and magic category leans heavy on whimsy with cute dragons, a one-eyed monster with dragonfly wings, a mermaid listening to music, and a green bearded river spirit covered in lily pads.

And that’s not even to mention other sections like food and drinks, houses and landscapes, lighthouses, people/babies/dolls and more. There’s so much to choose from there’s no way to really categorize it all, so why don’t you head over to Non Stop Stitch and do some scrolling. I’d love to hear if you make one of their patterns!

[Photo: Non Stop Stitch]

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