Cross Stitch Floss Calculator: How Many Skeins?

How much floss does one stitch use?

A full cross has two diagonal stitches on the front, and two short straight moves on the back. On a square grid with sides of one stitch length, each diagonal is 1.414 times that length. So one cross uses about 4.83 stitch lengths of thread. On 14 count, one stitch length is 1/14 in, so a cross uses about 0.345 in for each strand. With 2 strands, that is about 0.69 in of single strand per stitch.

A standard skein is 8 m long, about 315 in, and it has 6 strands, which gives you about 1,890 in of single strand. That means the absolute minimum works out at about 2,700 stitches per skein on 14 count with 2 strands. No one stitches that efficiently, since you also lose thread to tails, to moving from one stitch to the next, and to mistakes. So the calculator applies a waste factor, as explained below.

Why published floss figures disagree so much

Most of the very low figures, such as 200 stitches per skein, come from a simple mistake. They divide the 313 in length of a skein by the thread used per stitch, as if the skein were a single thread. But a skein holds 6 strands, and you only use 2 at a time, so you get three times as much two-strand thread as the label length suggests. Other low figures also assume far more thread per stitch than the geometry supports.

Measured real-world figures are more useful. One well-known source, Lindy Stitches, reports 250 stitches per yard of floss on 32 count with 2 strands. That is about 950 stitches per skein when scaled to 14 count. Other published figures for 14 count are between about 1,100 and 1,800. Our three stitching styles cover this range: about 950, 1,200 and 1,600. So treat the result as a sensible estimate, not as an exact figure.

What changes how much floss you use

Fabric count matters most. Stitches on a higher count are smaller, so they use less thread each. A skein that covers 1,200 stitches on 14 count will cover about 1,550 on 18 count, and about 950 on 11 count. Strands matter just as much. Three strands use 50% more than two, and a single strand uses half as much. This is the reason you should check the pattern’s recommendation, since a change of fabric can often mean a change of strands.

How you stitch matters too, and this is why the calculator has a style option. Big solid blocks of color are efficient, as each stitch is next to the last, and little thread travels across the back. Confetti stitching, with single stitches scattered around, uses much more, since you lose thread each time you start and stop. If your chart is full of those small color changes, use the scattered style to be safe.

How to plan your floss for a whole pattern

Most pattern keys list each color with its number of stitches. Enter each large color separately to get the skein count for it. For the many small colors, you can use the how many colors box: enter a typical stitch count, and the number of colors of about that size, and the tool will multiply. Most small colors take one skein, so you can usually buy one of each and only calculate the big ones.

If your pattern gives no counts, you can make an estimate by counting one small area and multiplying. A pattern that is 140 x 200 stitches and fully covered has 28,000 stitches in total, which at 1,200 per skein comes to about 23 skeins across all of your colors. The cross stitch calculator gives you the total number of squares and your fabric size, so it is a good place to begin.

Buying and storing floss

Buy all of the floss for one color at the same time when you can. Standard solid floss is usually made to consistent shades, but small differences between batches can show up in a large area of a single color. Hand-dyed and variegated floss varies a lot more, and it often has shorter skeins, so check the label. Some overdyed threads have only 5 yards, compared with about 8.7 yards in a standard skein.

Wind your skeins onto bobbins or keep them in labeled bags, so that the color numbers do not get lost. Cut lengths of about 18 in when you stitch, as longer pieces tend to fray and tangle, and that wastes thread. Keep leftovers for your next project: small amounts of many colors are ideal for scattered stitches, and over time they make a useful stash. A spare skein costs far less than running out near the end of a project.

Common floss mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is using very long lengths of thread in order to save time. Long lengths fray, tangle and lose their sheen as they pass repeatedly through the fabric, and you can end up throwing away the worn end. Lengths of about 18 in are a good habit. Another mistake is carrying thread a long way across the back, which uses far more floss than you expect and can show through pale fabric. If the next stitch is more than a few squares away, it is often better to end the thread and start again.

Starting and finishing habits matter too. Long tails and knots both waste thread, and knots can make a lump under your finished piece. A loop start, which uses a single strand folded in half, avoids a tail entirely when you stitch with an even number of strands. Another mistake is changing fabric count or strands partway through your planning without recalculating. Going from two strands to three uses 50% more floss, so run the numbers again. Finally, label your skeins clearly, because many similar shades are very hard to tell apart once they lose their paper bands.