Which Cross Stitch Needle Is Right For You?

Before you can decide which size needle you need for your project, you need to find out what type of fabric you’ll be stitching onto.

Cross stitch is usually done on Aida which is an open weave fabric with lots of little holes in it. The closer together the holes are, the smaller your stitches will be, and the smaller your needle should be. Aida is graded by ‘counts’ and the higher the count, the smaller the stitches…

If you use the wrong sized needle you risk snapping your thread, struggling with knots and tangles, and generally making stitching a little harder for yourself.

What is a cross stitch needle?

The type of needle you use for cross stitching is usually called a ‘tapestry needle’. The different between a tapestry needle and a normal embroidery needle is that they have a larger eye and a blunted tip. The lager eye comes in handy for threading thicker strands of thread such as cross stitch floss, and the blunted tip makes sure that you don’t pierce the woven part of the fabric (only the holes that you are supposed to). Clever, huh?

Here is an example of how to match your needle size to your fabric:

8 count aida - size 20
11 count aida - size 22
14 count aida - size 24
18 count aida - size 26

We’ve got you!

Now that you know your needle sizes you can tackle any project with your new knowledge, but don’t forget that every Innocent Bones cross stitch kit comes with the perfectly correct sized needle included!