Cross Stitch Thread or Floss

The vast range of cross stitch thread available today, of which you'll find an enormous number of colours, equates to almost unlimited cross stitch design possibilities. The most popular thread for counted and stamped cross stitch is stranded cotton (or floss). Stranded cotton is treated by a process known as mercerisation, which gives it a plished sheen-like silk. The advantage involving stranded cotton is how the strands can always be separated and recombined in a number to obtain different effects. Because cotton has half a dozen strands, many variations are possible. Two, three or more strands can be used for cross stitch, although one strand is employed over one thread of fabric to build delicate effects, or to give emphasis whenever out lining in back stitch.