French knot
A French knot is a decorative stitch made by winding the thread one or more times around the needle and drawing the needle back through the material at the point where it came out.
You can get away with a single wrap if it is a thick enough thread like a wool yarn or if you want a small knot in a specific place in the design. The usual practice is to do 2 wraps around the needle. Increasing the number of threads in the needle will give you a fluffier French knot. For a very fluffy French knot, you can even use the full 6 strands. You can mix small and big French knots so that there is variation in the texture of your embroidery work.
No two French knots are exactly the same, which is part of what makes them so great. Alone, they make excellent animal eyes, decorative points, and flower centres. Clustered together a French knot creates a wonderfully knobbly texture that can be used in a number of creative ways or as a filling stitch.
For more information:
The Royal School of Needlework has a very useful resource of 225 hand stitches, with detailed images and videos showing how to work each stitch. Have a look at:
We’re really looking forward to seeing members’ interpretations of this versatile stitch …
Thank you, Caroline, for the samples and info.