Needle Guide for Cross Stitch

You picked your fabric, have all your floss setup, now you are ready to start your new Cross Stitch project but wait before you just pick any needle, there is a difference.

What kind of Needle should I be using?

If you are using an Adia fabric with large holes, the most common type of needle you should be using is called a Tapestry needle.  They have a large eye for threading floss and a blunt end so there is less chance of you piercing the fabric. You want your stitches to be going through the holes in the Aida cloth, not making your own!

If you are using a tightly woven fabric, such as linen, the most common type of needle you should be using is called an Embroidery needle.  Like a tapestry needle, they have a large eye, but unlike a tapestry needle, they have a sharp end for going through the fabric.

What size Tapestry Needle should I be using?

For tapestry needle sizes, the needle number refers to the size of the eye and the thickness of the needle. The higher the number the smaller the needle. (I know right)

Here's a guide for the recommended tapestry needle size for the different types of Aida cloth. 

Aida 11 Count - Needle Size 22 

Aida 18 Count - Needle Size 24

Aida 16 Count - Needle Size 26

Aida 18 Count - Needle Size 28

What size Embroidery Needle should I be using?

Along with tapestry needles, the size of the embroidery needle refers to the thicknes and size of the eye.

Here's a guide for the recommended embroidery needle size based on the strands of floss you are using, if you are using standard floss

One Strand - Needle size 10

Two Strands - Needle size 9

Three Strands - Needle size 8

Six Strands - Needle size 3

An additional note on needle types

There are other needle types out there such as Chenille or Darners. The info above is focusing on the two most common types of needles used for standard cross stitch. If you are working with more complex patterns, different types of threads or other scenarios you may be better with a different type of needle.