How many skeins of floss do I need for a cross-stitch?
Work out how much embroidery floss to buy: stitches per skein for every fabric count and strand, with a real pet pattern's thread list as an example.
By The Hoop & Paw team · Published · 2 min read
One skein of DMC six-strand floss is 8 meters (8.7 yards). How many stitches that covers depends on the size of your stitches (the fabric count) and how many strands you use. The rule of thumb:
stitches per skein ≈ 255 × fabric count ÷ strands
| Fabric | Strands | Full stitches per skein |
|---|---|---|
| 11-count | 3 | about 935 |
| 14-count | 2 | about 1,785 |
| 14-count | 3 | about 1,190 |
| 16-count | 2 | about 2,040 |
| 18-count | 2 | about 2,295 |
Count the stitches of each color
Your pattern's key lists every color; a good pattern also lists how many stitches each one has. Divide by the stitches per skein, add a margin, and round up. Here are the ten most-used threads in one of our 100-stitch golden retriever patterns on 14-count Aida:
Most colors in a pet portrait need just one skein; the main coat colors and the background (if you stitch it) are where you need two or three.
Add a margin
Starting and finishing every thread uses a little extra, and you'll occasionally unpick a stitch. We add 20% before rounding up — and every color gets at least one skein, because you can't buy part of one.
Backstitch
Backstitch uses one strand and much less thread. Even a full outline around a pet's head and face rarely needs more than one skein.
Buy them together
Dye lots vary slightly, so buy all the skeins of one color at the same time — especially for a big area like a black coat or a stitched background.
Every pattern from our pattern maker includes a shopping list with these numbers already worked out, and our skein calculator does the math for any pattern.