How many strands of floss should you use?
Updated November 1, 2026 · 3 min read
On 14-count Aida, two strands of six-strand cotton is the usual full cross. On 11-count, start with three. On 16- and 18-count, two strands still cover, and three can crowd the holes. “Two strands” means two strands lie on the fabric.
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Separate before you recombine
Even if the chart says two strands, pull the six apart and put two back together. Stitching with them still twisted makes skinny, ropey crosses. The Embroiderers’ Guild of America teaches the same habit, and tells you to pull from the end by the larger DMC label so the skein stays intact.
- 2
Match strands to the count
A practical start: 11-count with 3 strands, 14-count with 2, 16- and 18-count with 2, and 22-count (or finer) with 1 or 2. When you stitch evenweave or linen over two threads, the effective count is half the printed number — 28-count over two behaves like 14-count, so two strands is the usual start. PixVix uses that same default in the floss calculator.
Bigger squares want more strands if you want the cloth covered. - 3
Count what is on the fabric, not what you folded
A loop start with one strand folded in half puts two strands on the cloth. Threading two strands and folding them in half puts four on the cloth. Four strands on 18-count means sixteen strands through a shared hole, and the needle starts to fight you. If a chart says two strands, do not fold two.
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Judge coverage from an arm’s length
Black and other dark colours on white cloth show the weave more than pastels do. Many stitchers move those colours to three strands on 14-count and keep two everywhere else. Step back before you restitch a whole background. Close-up, every piece looks holey.
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Pick a blunt needle that fills the hole
Tapestry needles have a blunt tip so they slide into the hole instead of piercing the threads. A common start: size 22 on 11-count, size 24 on 14-count, size 26 on 16- and 18-count. If the needle shreds the floss, it is too small. If it will not pass a hole that already has stitches, it is too thick.
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Use fewer strands for lines
Backstitch and lettering are usually one strand, or two when the line should read from across the room. The chart legend should say. Full crosses and backstitch on the same colour can use different strand counts.
Why the calculator asks for strands
Floss use scales with strands and with stitch size. PixVix estimates about 1,800 full crosses from an 8 m skein on 14-count with 2 strands, then adds 10% for starts and ends and rounds up per colour. Three strands use more metres than two. Enter the number you will actually stitch with.
Railroading, if a colour looks stringy
Railroading means letting the two strands lie side by side as the needle goes down, instead of twisting into a cord. You do not have to do it on every stitch. Slowing down on the dark colours is usually enough.
Sources
- 10 essential things to know before starting cross stitch — Embroiderers’ Guild of America
- DMC Mouliné Spécial: six strands, 8.7 yards, colourfast — DMC
- DMC general FAQ: colourfast thread — DMC
Turn strand count into skeins
Enter stitches, fabric count, and strands. The calculator rounds up per colour.
Open the floss calculatorQuestions
- How many strands on 14-count Aida?
- Two is the standard full cross. Use three for dark colours on light cloth if the weave still shows from an arm’s length.
- How many strands on 18-count?
- Two strands is the usual coverage. Three can be used for black, but the holes are smaller and extra strands are harder to pull through.
- What needle size do I need?
- Start with a size 24 tapestry needle on 14-count Aida, size 22 on 11-count, and size 26 on 16- or 18-count. The tip should be blunt.
- Does a loop start use more floss?
- It uses the strands you folded. One strand folded once is a two-strand stitch. Two strands folded once is a four-strand stitch.