Reference

Cross stitch glossary

Cross stitch terms explained in plain English, from Aida, backstitch and confetti to frogging, parking, railroading and waste knots – a handy A–Z.

46 terms · Updated October 24, 2026

Aida

A stiff cotton fabric woven in small blocks with clear holes between them, so each cross stitch covers one block. It's the easiest fabric for beginners and comes in counts such as 11, 14, 16 and 18. See Aida vs. evenweave vs. linen.

Away waste knot

A knot placed on the front of the fabric well away from where you're stitching, with a long tail. When you've finished the area, you cut the knot off, thread the tail and weave it in on the back. See starting and ending threads.

Backstitch

A straight line of single stitches, often used for outlines and lettering. Our patterns use full cross stitches only, with no backstitch. See full stitch, half stitch and backstitch.

Bobbin

A small flat card of cardboard or plastic that you wind floss onto, labeled with the DMC number. See how to organize embroidery floss.

Center mark

The arrows on the edges of a chart that point to its center row and column. Most stitchers find the center of their fabric by folding it in half both ways and start stitching there. See getting started.

Color chart

A chart that shows each stitch as a colored square, usually with a symbol on it too. It shows the picture clearly and is easiest to use on a screen. See how to read our charts.

Confetti

Single stitches, or tiny groups, of one color scattered among other colors. Detailed shading often has a lot of it. See how to stitch large cross stitch patterns.

Count

The number of stitches (on Aida) or threads (on evenweave and linen) per inch of fabric. A higher count means smaller stitches and a smaller finished piece. See fabric count and finished size.

Counted cross stitch

Cross stitch worked on plain, unprinted fabric by counting squares on a chart. It's what all our patterns are. See cross stitch vs. embroidery vs. needlepoint.

Cross-country

Stitching one color across a large area of the chart, often a whole page, before moving on to the next color. It means fewer thread changes but more long-distance counting.

DMC

A French thread maker whose six-strand cotton embroidery floss is the most widely used in cross stitch. Each color has a number, such as 310 for black, and our patterns list the DMC number and name for every color.

Dye lot

A batch of floss dyed at the same time. Skeins from different dye lots can differ very slightly in shade, so buy all the floss for a large area of one color at once.

Evenweave

A fabric with the same number of threads per inch in both directions and single threads instead of Aida's blocks. Cross stitch is usually worked over two threads, so 28 count evenweave gives the same stitch size as 14 count Aida.

Finished size

How big the stitched design will be on your fabric: the stitch count divided by the fabric count. Our covers list it for 14, 16 and 18 count Aida and 28 count linen. See how much fabric for cross stitch.

Floss

Six-strand cotton embroidery thread, sold in skeins. For cross stitch you separate the strands and stitch with one, two or three at a time. See how much floss do I need?

Floss drop

A strip of card with punched holes, one per color, where you loop cut lengths of floss for a project and label each hole with the chart symbol and DMC number.

Fractional stitch

A partial cross stitch, such as a quarter or three-quarter stitch, used to smooth curves and fine details. Our patterns use full cross stitches only.

French knot

A small raised knot made by wrapping the thread around the needle, used for eyes, dots and flower centers. It's an embroidery stitch often added to cross stitch designs.

Frogging

Unpicking stitches. The name comes from “rip it, rip it”, which sounds like a frog's call. See how to fix cross stitch mistakes.

Full cross stitch

The basic X-shaped stitch, made of two diagonal stitches crossing in the same square. For a neat look, all the top stitches should slant the same way. See full stitch, half stitch and backstitch.

Gridding

Marking your fabric with a line every 10 squares, usually with a removable thread, to match the bold lines on the chart and make counting easier.

Half stitch

A single diagonal stitch across one square – half of a full cross. It's sometimes used for light shading or backgrounds.

Hoop

Two rings, one inside the other, that hold fabric taut while you stitch. Take the fabric out between sessions to avoid marks. See cross stitch hoops and frames.

Key

The list that links each chart symbol to a thread color. Our floss key also gives the DMC number and name, the number of stitches and an estimate of how many skeins you need. See how to read our charts.

Linen

A fabric woven from flax, with slightly uneven threads that give a soft, natural look. Like evenweave, it's usually stitched over two threads. See Aida vs. evenweave vs. linen.

Loop start

A knot-free way to start when stitching with an even number of strands. You fold one long strand in half, thread the two cut ends and pass the needle through the loop on the back after the first half stitch. See starting and ending threads.

Needle minder

A small decorative magnet, with a second magnet behind the fabric, that holds your needle safely while you're not stitching.

Orts

Short leftover snippets of floss, too small to stitch with. Some stitchers collect them in a jar.

Over one / over two

How many fabric threads each stitch covers on evenweave or linen. Over two is standard; over one makes tiny stitches, half the size, for fine details.

Page map

A small plan in a multi-page pattern that shows how the chart pages fit together. See how to stitch large cross stitch patterns.

Parking

A way to work big, many-color designs block by block. When you finish a color in one block, you bring the needle up where that color is needed next and leave the thread waiting on the front, instead of ending it. See how to stitch large cross stitch patterns.

Q-snap

A square or rectangular frame of plastic tubes with clamps that snap over the fabric to hold it taut. It's a popular alternative to a hoop for larger pieces. See cross stitch hoops and frames.

Railroading

Passing the needle between the strands of floss on each stitch so they lie flat and parallel instead of twisting. It gives smooth, full-looking stitches. See neat cross stitch tips.

Scroll frame

A frame with two rollers joined by side bars. The fabric is attached to the rollers and the finished part rolls out of the way, which makes it ideal for large projects.

Skein

A bundle of floss as you buy it, held by paper bands. A standard DMC skein holds about 8.7 yards (8 meters) of six-strand floss. See how much floss do I need?

Stamped cross stitch

Cross stitch where the design is printed on the fabric, so you stitch over the printed crosses instead of counting from a chart.

Stash

Your collection of stitching supplies – floss, fabric, patterns and tools.

Stitch count

The size of a design in stitches, such as 160 wide × 186 high. Divide it by your fabric count to get the finished size.

Strand

One of the six thin threads that make up embroidery floss. Patterns tell you how many strands to stitch with; most of ours use two on 14 count Aida.

Stretcher bars

Wooden bars that slot together into a fixed frame. The fabric is pinned or tacked to them so it stays taut without anything pressing on the stitches.

Symbol chart

A black-and-white chart where each color is shown by a symbol instead of a color. It prints well on any printer and is easy to mark as you go. See stitching from a PDF pattern.

Tapestry needle

A needle with a blunt tip and a large eye, used for cross stitch because it slips through the fabric holes without splitting threads. See what size needle for cross stitch.

Tension

How firmly you pull each stitch, and how taut the fabric is held. Even, relaxed tension gives neat stitches and stops the fabric puckering.

Tweeding

Stitching with strands of two different colors in the same needle to create a blended shade.

Waste knot

A knot placed on the front of the fabric a short way along the row you're about to stitch. Your stitches cover the tail on the back, and then you cut the knot off. See starting and ending threads.

WIP

Short for “work in progress” – a project you've started but not finished yet.