Stitch guide · Texture and details
How to do a French knot
A French knot is a small, raised dot of thread made by wrapping the thread around the needle and stitching back down right beside where you came up. Use French knots for dots, flower centers, tiny details and bumpy, curly texture. Scatter them on their own or pack them tightly together.
- Level Easy
Use it in a pet portrait for…
- A curly coat, like a poodle, a doodle or a bichon: pack the knots close together.
- Freckles on a muzzle, or dots on a bandana.
- The center of a flower tucked into the collar.
How to do it, step by step
Come up at 1. Hold the thread taut, wrap it around the needle twice, and put the tip in at 2, right beside 1. Slide the wraps down and pull through slowly. The finished knot is on the right.
1 Odd numbers: come up from the back2 Even numbers: go down
- Come up where you want the knot to sit.
- Hold the thread taut with your other hand, and wrap it around the needle once or twice.
- Keeping the thread taut, put the needle tip back into the fabric very close to where it came up, but not in the same hole.
- Slide the wraps down the needle so they sit snug against the fabric.
- Keep holding the thread taut and push the needle slowly through to the back. Let go only at the very end.
- Come up where the next knot goes, or finish on the back.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- The knot pulls through to the back.
- You went down in the same hole. Go down just a thread or two away.
- Loopy, loose knots.
- Keep tension on the thread until the needle is all the way through.
- Knots in all different sizes.
- Use the same number of strands and wraps for every knot.
- Messy, oversized knots.
- For a bigger knot, try more strands or a thicker thread instead of piling on extra wraps.
How many strands?
Two strands with two wraps makes a neat, medium knot. Use one strand for tiny dots, and three or more for bold ones.
Embroidery floss comes as six thin strands twisted together. Cut a length from your fingertips to your elbow, pull out the strands you need one at a time, and lay them back together (DMC’s guide to stranded floss).
Questions people ask
How many times do you wrap a French knot?
Once or twice. Two wraps is a good place to start.
Why does my French knot disappear?
It slipped back through the hole it came up in. Go down a thread or two away, and keep the thread taut as you pull through.
Can I use French knots for fur?
Yes, for curly or very fluffy coats. Pack them close together, and vary the spacing a little so it looks natural.
What needle is best for French knots?
Any embroidery needle works. Many stitchers like a milliner (straw) needle for knots, because its eye is no wider than the shaft, so the wraps slide off easily.
Sources: Royal School of Needlework Stitch Bank: French knot