How to read a cross stitch pattern

A cross stitch pattern is a map of your fabric. Every square on the chart is one stitch, every symbol stands for one thread color, and the key tells you which thread that is. Once you know those three things, any chart becomes readable.

The grid: one square, one stitch

Each square on the chart matches one square of holes on your Aida fabric. An empty square means that spot is left unstitched. Charts draw a bolder line every 10 squares so you can count quickly without losing your place.

Symbols and colors

Inside each square is a symbol, a color, or both. The symbol is what you follow: colors on screen and on paper never match thread exactly, and similar shades are easy to mix up. Charts with both color and symbol make large areas easier to spot while keeping every square unambiguous.

The key (legend)

The key lists every symbol with its thread brand and number, for example DMC 310 for black. Good keys also show how many stitches use each color and how many skeins to buy. Check the key before you shop, and label your threads with their symbols as you sort them onto a card or bobbins. You can look up any number in the DMC color chart.

Find the center and start there

Most charts mark the center with small arrows on the edges. Fold your fabric in half both ways to find its center, then start stitching there. Starting in the middle keeps the design centered and leaves even margins for framing.

Counting and following the chart

Work one color at a time in small areas, counting squares from a stitch you have already made. Many stitchers mark finished squares on a printed copy with a highlighter so they never lose their place.

• Count twice, stitch once. A single miscount shifts everything that follows.
• Use the bold 10-square lines as landmarks when you move to a new area.
• Stitch rows in two passes: all the half stitches first (/ / /), then come back and cross them (\ \ \).

Partial stitches and backstitch

Some charts split a square diagonally between two colors: these are half or three-quarter stitches. Straight lines drawn over the grid are backstitch, an outline added after the cross stitches to sharpen edges and small details. The key lists backstitch threads separately.

Charts on several pages

Large patterns are split across pages. Each page shows which part of the design it covers, and row and column numbers along the edges let you line the pages up.

Questions