How To Tie A French Knot

If you do embroidery or cross stitching, you'll eventually need to learn how to tie a French knot. In a cross stitch project, small features such as eyes are usually made from French knots, and they're also useful for things like flowers and curly hair in an embroidery design. Making French knots can be intimidating at first, your early attempts may look more like awkward, messy loops than neat, tightly coiled knots. With practice, however, you'll be able to make French knots quickly and easily.

To tie a French knot, you will need:

• embroidery or cross stitch fabric
• needle
• embroidery thread

Steps

1. Thread the needle and secure your thread at the back of the fabric. The number of strands of embroidery thread will vary depending on your project, but if you're just practicing, use either two or three strands.
2. Push the needle through the fabric, bringing the thread to the front.
3. Hold the thread between your left thumb and index finger and pull it to the left.
4. Place the needle behind the thread. Wrap the thread around the needle twice for a smaller French knot, or three times for a larger French knot.
5. Push the tip of the needle through the fabric at a hole right next to where you brought the thread up. If you're using aida cloth for a cross stitch project, push the needle back through the thread a few threads away from the hole.
6. Pull the thread taut, so that any loose thread before the loops around the needle disappear.
7. Push the needle all the way through the fabric, pulling the thread through very slowly and continuing to hold it taut with your left hand. Admire your completed French knot.