French Knot Stitch

French Knot Stitch Hand Embroidery is a textural decorative hand embroidery stitch. It has many uses – from filling areas and accent stitches to being a part of complex composite stitches as a lattice stitch. I consider this stitch one of the embroidery stitches you should learn when you are starting your embroidery journey.

The French knot is an embroidery technique in which the thread is knotted around itself in a specific way. This stitch has a reputation for being one of the most difficult, but I find it very simple, and I like to use it. Follow these simple tips, and you’ll love French knots as I do:

• Use both hands to make this stitch.
• Wrap the thread around the needle 2 times (3 times is maximum). If you need a bigger knot – use thicker yarn or more strands.
• Leave a small space between the beginning of the stitch and the place where you take the needle down into the fabric. The knot will not pop to the back of the material.
• Pull the thread slowly through the wraps to the back of the fabric. Also, keep the working thread under tension until the last possible moment as it passes to the back of the cloth.
• Use a milliner needle instead of an embroidery needle. It has an eye that’s the same thickness as the shaft, so it’s easy to pass the needle through the tight wraps without getting hung up on the eye.