How to Do a French Knot Stitch | Written and Video Tutorial

Many people fear the French knot and is understandable. If you have tried to create a French knot, you know why. But fear not, the French knot is super easy once you know how to do a French knot stitch properly.

 

The French knot is a decorative stitch often used in a lot of embroidery projects. The stitch creates a small dot. These dots can be used for all types of details such as flowers, snowflakes, dots, eyes, and so much more.

 

How to Do a French Knot Stitch

Our how to do a French knot stitch tutorial will teach you the fool-proof way of making the knot. Once you see how easy the stitch is, you will no longer try to find patterns that do not have the decorative stitch.

Or leave the stitch off completely. The stitch will become second nature, and you will be whipping them up in no time.

 

French Knot Tutorial

To follow and absorb all the knowledge we will be sharing with you, make sure to have all the necessary materials needed, then you’re good to go. Here are the steps in making a French knot stitch:

Steps on How to Make a French Knot Stitch :

Find a comfortable spot or a workplace to set up. You can even use your lap to set your hoops if that is what you’re comfortable with.

1.    Take your needle and bring it up through the fabric in the spot where the knot needs to be.

2.    Take your needle and place it about an inch above the fabric directly above the spot where you will be creating the knot. The needle should be parallel to the work surface.

3.    Wrap the thread around the needle twice with your non-needle hand. You can wrap only once if you are trying to create a smaller knot. And you can wrap it 3 or more times for an even bigger knot.

Continue to stretch up the thread using your left hand or the non-needle hand to prevent it from loosening.

Note that you should keep holding the needle firmly while spiraling it with the thread in this step. Also, avoid using your needle hand in doing the wrapping, it’ll get all tied-up with your wrist. This will start your problems in handling the knots.

4.    Hold onto the thread with your non-needle hand as you turn the point of the needle back towards the fabric. You will want to hold the thread out to the side taught until the knot is almost completed. Do not pull too tightly.

5.    Insert the needle back down through the fabric right next to the hole you just come out of. Some people use the same hole. However, we have found that using the same hole makes it too easy to pull the knot back through the fabric.

Just place it a little near to your exit point but not on the same hole, to prevent having problems on the next steps. Once you’ve re-entered your needle, don’t go all the way in just yet!

6.    Pull the needle down through the fabric slowly as the knot forms. You will want to hold onto the floss until the knot is almost completely knotted. This helps to ensure a nice tight knot.

7.    That is all there is to it. Now practice a few French knots. You will have it mastered in no time at all.

Congratulations! You now have your first French knot stitch!

French Knot Stitch Video Tutorial

 

Now You Know How to do A French Knot Stitch

Practice makes perfect in everything that we do. And this goes for the French knot too. If you tried our French knot tutorial, and it did not work, try it again. Share with us your experience with these French knot tutorial on our Facebook page.

For more stitch tutorials, check out see our Types of Beading Stitches Guide. 

The most common issues that cause a French knot to fail are going back down the same hole, holding the thread too tight, and/or holding the thread too loose.

Do not give up and keep practicing. Once you master the knot and learn how to do a French knot stitch, you will wonder why you always thought it was so difficult. 

To add icing to the cake, here are some patterns that you can try that use French knot stitch:  Crochet Patterns with French  Knots

 

Get this Pattern by Fuzzy Fox Designs Here