How many strands should I stitch with in Needlepoint?
How many Strands I stitch with? Recommended number of strands for popular fibers and counts:
The table below shows you how many individual strands you should use when stitching. It depending on the fiber or yarn chosen and the canvas mesh chosen.
| Canvas / Mesh Count | Number of Strands for Tapestry Yarn | Number of Strands for Pearl Cotton | Number of Strands for Stranded Cotton |
| #10 Canvas | DMC Tapestry Yarn: 2 strands | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: 2 strands | Stranded Cotton: 8 to 10 strands combined |
| #12 Canvas | DMC Tapestry Yarn: 1 strand | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: 2 strands | Stranded Cotton: 8 strands combined |
| #13 Canvas | DMC Tapestry Yarn: 1 strand | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: 1 strand | Stranded Cotton: 7 to 8 strands combined |
| #14 Canvas | DMC Tapestry Yarn: 1 strand | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: 1 strand | Stranded Cotton: 7 strands combined |
| #16 Canvas | DMC Tapestry Yarn: Not appropriate | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: Not appropriate | Stranded Cotton: 6 strands combined |
| #18 Canvas | DMC Tapestry Yarn: Not appropriate | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: Not appropriate | DMC Stranded Cotton: 4 strands combined |
| #22 Canvas (Congress cloth) | DMC Tapestry Yarn: Not appropriate | DMC Pearl Cotton #3: Not appropriate | DMC Stranded Cotton: 3 strands combined |
Notes:
- Any thread can be used on any count canvas long as it goes through the canvas holes or can be couched on the surface.
- When stitching with more than one strand of thread in the needle, a laying tool should be used to be certain that the strands are laid smoothly on the surface of the canvas.
- DMC Tapestry Yarn is composed of two strands which are twisted together. It it not designed to be untwisted nor should those two strands be separated.
- #3 Pearl Cotton is not designed to be untwisted nor the plies separated.
- The length of Stranded Cotton should be stripped (separated) and the needed number recombined. Even when 6 strands are to be used, they should be separated and recombined in the needle. Note that as it comes from the skein, the floss is considered a “strand.” That strand is composed of 6 smaller strands, each of the smaller strands is composed of 2 plies, each ply is composed of fibers.
- The correct terms for threads is “thread” or “yarn.” Yarn is generally considered to be wool or wool blend. To call a thread “fiber” is incorrect. Fibers are tiny components of thread.
- Each of the three threads discussed here should be cut about 20" long for usual stitching.
- Congress cloth technically is not a needlepoint canvas. However, it is used so often as such, it is grouped under “needlepoint canvas,” but usually identified by the name “Congress cloth,” not by the number of threads per inch.