The Yosemite National Park Pattern uses french knots to portray water bubbles at the bottom of a waterfall. If you are using a 6-strand embroidery thread, the more strands you use, the bigger the finished knot.įrench Knots are great on their own, in loose clusters, stitched tight together to fill a shape, or even as a really cool textured border.Ī wide variety of the patterns found here on Wandering Threads Embroidery contain french knots. The first is how many times you wrap the thread around the needle. Don’t put it back in the same hole or you might risk pulling the knot all the way through.Īs you push the needle down, keep holding the thread in your other hand.įrench Knots will look different depending on a few factors. While keeping a tight grasp on the thread in one hand, with the other hand push the needle down through the fabric right next to where you came out. Using the hand holding the thread, twist it around the needle twice. Pull the thread taut with one hand and hold the needle under the thread with the other. Bring the needle up through the fabric to the front. If you’re filling an area with french knots, lay the hoop on a table top so you have both hands free.

The first thing to know is that a french knot requires two hands to stitch. While sometimes considered difficult to learn, this tutorial lays out a simple step-by-step method that will have you singing the praises of french knots in no time.

Clustered together, a french knot creates a wonderfully nubby texture that can be used in a number of creative ways. Alone, they make excellent animal eyes, decorative points, and flower centers. No two French knots are exactly the same, which is part of what makes them so great. The French knot is a simple embroidery stitch that creates a cute little three-dimensional bump.

French knot embroidery