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Four-legged knot stitch icon
Four-legged knot stitch

Four-legged knot stitch main image

This cross stitch is formed by two crossed straight stitches, the second of which is knotted over the centre of the first one.  It is normally worked as an evenly-spaced powdered filling, either with all of the crosses at a vertical orientation, or placed randomly.

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Knotted Crossed Powdered filling Crewelwork Surface

Four-legged knot stitch is generously sponsored by Audrey Oliver in memory of Annie Richardson-Cox

Method

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Four-legged knot stitch method stage 1 illustration
Four-legged knot stitch method stage 1 photograph
1

Bring your needle up and take it down a short distance below to form a straight stitch - this is the first part of your cross.

Four-legged knot stitch method stage 2 illustration
Four-legged knot stitch method stage 2 photograph
2

Bring your needle back up to the right of the previous stitch and lay your thread horizontally over the middle of the straight stitch.

Four-legged knot stitch method stage 3 illustration
Four-legged knot stitch method stage 3 photograph
3

Leaving a loop to the left, bring your thread to the top right. Slide your needle under where the two threads cross and over the working thread.

Four-legged knot stitch method stage 4 illustration
Four-legged knot stitch method stage 4 photograph
4

Pull your thread taut to form the knot and take it down to make the fourth leg of the cross.

Four-legged knot stitch method stage 5 illustration
Four-legged knot stitch method stage 5 photograph
5

Continue working four-legged knot stitch.

Four-legged knot stitch method stage 6 illustration
Four-legged knot stitch method stage 6 photograph
6

A group of completed four-legged knot stitches.

Four-legged knot stitch

Structure of stitch

Knotted Crossed

Common uses

Powdered filling

Embroidery Techniques

Crewelwork Surface

Related Stitches

References

  • Mrs Archibald Christie, Samplers and Stitches (1921) , p.52
  • Kate Haxell, The Stitch Bible (2012)
  • Jennifer Campbell, Ann-Marie Bakewell, Guide to Embroidery Stitches (2004)
  • Sarah Whittle, The Needlecraft Stitch Directory (2012)