Guide

How to Read a Cross Stitch Pattern

A cross stitch chart can look like a wall of tiny symbols the first time you open one. Once you know what each part does, it becomes a simple map: one square, one stitch. Here's how to read every part of a typical pattern.

The basic idea: one square equals one stitch

Every chart is a grid. Each square on the grid stands for one square on your Aida cloth (or one block of threads on evenweave). If a chart square holds a symbol or color, you make one full cross stitch in that spot, using the thread listed for that symbol. If a chart square is empty, you leave the fabric unstitched there.

So a design that's 80 squares wide on the chart will be 80 stitches wide on your fabric. How big that is in inches depends on your fabric count, which we explain in the Aida count guide.

The key (or legend)

The key is the list that matches each symbol to a thread. A typical line in a key has:

• The symbol as it appears on the chart, such as a triangle, a heart or a letter.
• The thread brand and number, for example DMC 310 (black) or DMC 666 (a bright red).
• A color name, which is helpful but less precise than the number. Always buy by number.
• Sometimes a strand count, telling you how many strands to use for that stitch type.
• Sometimes a stitch count or skein estimate, so you know how much to buy.

Many keys also have separate sections for backstitch, French knots and blended threads (where two different colors share the needle). Read the whole key before you start. Patterns from different designers lay it out differently, and the notes often hold important instructions.

Grid lines every 10 squares

You'll notice that every tenth line on the grid is darker or thicker. These bold lines split the chart into 10-by-10 blocks, and they're there purely to make counting easier. Instead of counting 37 squares one by one, you can count three blocks of ten and then seven more.

Some stitchers mirror this on their fabric by running a contrasting thread every ten squares, known as gridding. You can use removable thread or a special gridding line and pull it out when you finish. It takes time up front but can save a lot of unpicking on large or busy charts.

Center arrows

Small arrows or triangles along the edges of the chart point to the middle row and middle column. Follow one arrow across and one down, and where they meet is the center of the design. Fold your fabric in quarters to find its center and start your stitching there, so the finished design sits evenly on the fabric.

Many charts also number the grid lines along the edges (10, 20, 30 and so on), which helps you keep your place.

Symbol charts, color charts and both

Patterns come in a few styles:

• Symbol charts (black and white). Each color gets a unique symbol. These print cheaply and stay readable even when two thread colors look nearly the same.
• Color block charts. Each square is filled with a color that approximates the thread. They give you a good preview, but similar shades can be hard to tell apart, especially in printed form.
• Color with symbols. Colored squares with a symbol on top. Many stitchers find this the easiest to follow, because you get the quick visual of color plus the certainty of a symbol.

If you're color-blind, or printing at home in black and white, a symbol chart is the safer choice. The Thread & Hoop pattern maker produces a symbol chart for exactly this reason.

Backstitch lines

Backstitch is a simple outline stitch, used for details like eyes, lettering, whiskers or a crisp edge around a shape. On a chart, backstitch appears as solid or colored lines drawn along the edges of squares, or sometimes diagonally across them. The key lists which thread to use for each line, usually with fewer strands than your cross stitches (often one strand).

Backstitch is normally done after all the cross stitches are finished, so the outline sits neatly on top.

Fractional stitches

Sometimes a full square is too chunky for a curve or a fine detail. That's where fractional stitches come in. They're shown in a few common ways:

• Quarter stitch. A small symbol tucked into one corner of a square. You stitch from that corner to the center of the square. On Aida, you'll pierce the middle of the square with your needle.
• Three-quarter stitch. Often shown as a square split diagonally, with a symbol or color filling one triangle. You make one full diagonal (a half stitch) plus one quarter stitch into the center.
• Half stitch. A single diagonal leg, often shown as a diagonal line or a symbol in a different style. Half stitches are sometimes used for lighter shading or background areas.

Every designer has their own notation, so check the key or the pattern notes for a description. If a square shows two different symbols in two triangles, it usually means two three-quarter stitches in different colors share that square.

French knots and other specialty stitches

French knots are usually marked with a dot or small circle, often where grid lines cross. Beads, long stitches and other extras will have their own symbols and an explanation in the key. If something on the chart doesn't appear in the key, check the pattern instructions.

Multi-page charts

Large designs are split across several pages. A small diagram, sometimes called a page map, shows how the pages fit together. Many designers repeat a few rows or columns at the edge of each page, often shaded gray, so you can line pages up. Those overlap rows are for reference only. Don't stitch them twice.

Practical tips for following a chart

• Work on a copy. Print a working copy so you can mark it up and keep the original clean.
• Highlight as you go. Shade finished stitches with a highlighter. It's the easiest way to see what's left.
• Count twice, stitch once. Most mistakes come from being one square off. Double-check against the nearest bold grid line.
• Use a magnetic board or a ruler. Placing a straight edge under the row you're on stops your eye from jumping lines.
• Enlarge if you need to. Printing a chart larger, or zooming in on a tablet, can make a big difference for tired eyes.
• Stitch one color at a time in an area. Finish all the stitches of one symbol in a 10-by-10 block before moving to the next.

A quick worked example

Say your key shows a filled triangle for DMC 310 and a plus sign for DMC 3865. You start at the center square, which has a plus sign. Using two strands of 3865, you stitch that square, then every other plus sign in the same 10-by-10 block. When the block's plus signs are done, you switch to 310 and stitch all the triangles in that block. Then you move to the next block. At the end you add any backstitch lines shown in the key.

That's really all there is to it. Once you've read one chart, the rest follow the same rules. For the stitching side of things, see our beginner's how-to.