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What is a French knot in embroidery? A French knot is a hand embroidery stitch that creates a small, raised knot on the surface of the fabric. It's made by wrapping embroidery floss/thread around the needle one or two times before inserting it back into the fabric near the starting point.
How many strands of floss do you use for French knots? This answer varies wildly based on the embroidery artist. Traditional embroiderers use 2–3 strands of embroidery floss for French knots. But I, on the other hand, love texture and choose to break out of that old school/traditional way of stitching - therefore I will often use 3, 6, and sometimes even 12 strands of floss to create the look I am going for. And for anyone who says it can't be done, I call Malarkey! I do it all the time and it's not hard. In fact, I have a video all about how to needle 12 strands of floss.
Why do my French knots keep coming undone or pulling through? The most common cause is releasing thread tension too early. Keep your non-dominant hand holding the thread taut until the needle has almost fully passed through the fabric — only let go at the last second. Also make sure you're re-inserting the needle next to the original hole, not back through it, which can cause the knot to pull through.
How do I make my French knots more uniform? Consistency comes from wrapping the needle the same number of times for each knot and maintaining the same thread tension throughout. Using a hoop or frame to keep your fabric taut helps significantly. Practice on a scrap of fabric before working on your actual project.
Which embroidery designs are good for practicing French knots? The Camelot, Fleur, Avonlea, Winslow, Kensington, and Hydrangea collections also feature designs where French knots appear prominently.
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