French Knot
The French Knot is a simple embroidery stitch that creates a nubby, little three-dimensional dot. It works great alone, or strung together in lines, or clustered to form a lovely piled surface. Learn right here how to whip out this very useful decorative stitch!
Step 1: Thread the embroidery needle.
Step 2: Bring the needle up through the fabric to the front. Wrap the thread around the needle three or four times. Keep a tight grip on the thread as you wrap it.
Step 3: Push the needle down through the fabric just next to where it came out, holding the thread tight in your fingers. Pull the needle through the knot to the back of the fabric.
Thank you for your visuals on how to make a french knot – very clear. NOW can this unskilled craft person put it into practice??!!
I need to make this for the eyes of a pioneer doll…..we shall see! Thank you!
Thanks! Needed to make eyes for some infant toys I crocheted. They look fantastic now.
I just want to thank you for posting this tutorial all those years ago. You taught me how to make French knots, which I put to very good use last month when I made thirty plush owl toys for a party (don’t ask). They were perfect as child-friendly eyes, and I remembered this tutorial for all sixty of them!
I learn embroidery in elementary school I completely forgot now I am going to embellish my kids t- shirts with the French knots
where can I purchase the needles? I am in Vancouver, Canada.
HI Miryom,
Thank you for writing us! We have a lovely set of embroidery needles on our website which you can purchase here; https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/3763-Clover-Gold-Eye-Embroidery-Needles-No3-9
You can use any sharp needle but ones specifically for embroidery would be ideal!
Hope you find what you need and feel free to write us back if you have more questions!
Good Luck!
Jake
What kind of fabric are you using for the French knots? My local fabric store isn’t much help about fabric for embroidery. Thanks. Amy
Hi, Amy!
Thank you for your question! In this tutorial we used a heavier weight linen similar to this Aida Linen, https://www.purlsoho.com/fabric/embroidery-needlepoint/aida-linen.html, but you can make french knots in any fabric as long the weave is not too open. With that said, I recommend using linen for embroidery projects, something like Essex by Robert Kaufman (https://www.purlsoho.com/fabric/by-the-yard/essex.html) or our Warsa linen (https://www.purlsoho.com/fabric/by-the-yard/warsa-linen.html). If you have further questions please let us know!
Happy stitching,
Kumeko
Hi! I have always had such trouble with these- they never show up when I pull through! Do you know what I am doing wrong? I try to hold it taut, but maybe I’m not holding the thread correctly?
Hello, Saskia!
Thank you so much for writing in! Let’s see if we can figure out what is going on! Does the fabric you’re using have an open weave? Sometimes if the fabric’s weave is loose and your floss isn’t thick enough the knot will pull through the fabric.
If that isn’t the case them let’s go through the steps, I think you might be doing something wrong in the final step.
1) Pull the floss up through the fabric, holding it taut. Next, I set the hoop in my lap or on a table so that I can use both hands for the next steps.
2) Pinch the floss, about half it’s length, using the hand not holding the needle.
3) Wind the floss that is between your pinched fingers and the fabric once or twice around the needle. I keep the needle in front of the floss and wind the floss in a counter-clock wise motion toward me.
4) Keeping the strands tightly wound along the needle (don’t let them get loose!), partially reinsert the needle next to where it exited the fabric, BUT before you push the needle through, pull the floss you’ve been holding in your non-needle hand so that the tightly wound strands slide down the needle and make a little bundle against the fabric. Now push the needle completely through the fabric.
Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best,
Kumeko
I have been trying unsuccessfully to make the french knots but each time I pull the needle through, the yarn unwinds!!! How does a knot form when there is no loop to secure it?
What am I missing here?
Hi Harriet,
Thanks for reaching out! It is very important that you wind your yarn around the needle in the correct direction – otherwise, there won’t be a knot and the stitch will just disappear. When you are winding your yarn, make sure you are holding the needle close to where the thread is coming up through the fabric and winding your thread toward the tip of the needle and away from the eye, as we show in the images above. You should also make sure you are inserting your needle back into the fabric just slightly to the side of where it came up, not in the exact same hole, and that you are using a fabric that isn’t too loosely woven with a very fine thread, as those issues could also cause the knot to pull through to the wrong side.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Wow! Thank you so much for this video! I watched so many and was about to give up and look for an alternative stitch. Only took watching it twice and now I’ve got it down! You rock!