How to read a cross stitch chart

Squares, symbols and the legend

• Each square on the chart is one full cross on the fabric, over one square of Aida or two threads of linen.
• Each symbol stands for one floss color. The legend, also called the key, lists the symbol, the DMC number, the name and often the number of skeins.
• An empty square is fabric left bare.
• Bold lines every 10 squares make counting easier, and the numbers along the edges count those lines.

Finding the center

Most charts mark the center with small arrows on the edges. Fold your fabric in half both ways and crease it lightly: the center is where the folds cross. Start there, and the design ends up centered with an even margin all round.

Your first crosses

1. Cut about 18 in (45 cm) of floss and separate the strands you need, usually two for 14-count.
2. Bring the needle up at the bottom left of a square and down at the top right: that is the first half of the cross.
3. Work a row of half stitches in the same color, then come back along the row, crossing each one from bottom right to top left.
4. Keep every top stitch going the same way so the finished piece looks even.
5. Count from the last stitch you made, not from the edge of the fabric; counting from a fixed point keeps small mistakes from growing.

By color or by block

Some stitchers fill one 10 × 10 block at a time with all its colors; others stitch one color across an area before changing. Blocks keep you oriented, and color by color saves thread changes. On a tablet, chart apps such as Pattern Keeper can highlight one color and mark what you have done.

When the chart spans several pages

A good PDF repeats a few rows and columns of the neighboring page in gray and tells you which page comes next, so turning the page never loses your place. A page map at the start shows how the pages fit together.

Mark what you have stitched with a highlighter on a printed copy, or in a tablet app. It is the simplest way to avoid counting mistakes.