How Many Threads Do You Need?

Have you ever wondered how many threads you should be using to stitch up a project? Standard cotton embroidery floss comes in six strands. It's meant to be pulled apart, the strands used separately. Do you know how many strands to use? Should you use only one? Two? Three? How many? There are so many choices! The standard for cross stitch is using just two strands stitched on 14 count Aida. I have stitched up an example using a variety of  strands. As you can see, using only one thread does not provide very much coverage. But there are times that using only one strand is useful. Doing back stitching, french knots, and fine detail work are all ideal for one strand. Two strands provides good coverage for standard cross stitches. You might want to use three strands if you are using a light color on a darker fabric (or a dark color on a light fabric), it provides more coverage so the color of the fabric doesn't show through as much. Three strands fills it out even more. When you use more than three strands you start to lose the details of the pattern. As you can see in the photo, the heart that I stitched with six strands has lost most of the detail, the heart is not as easy to see as it is with only two strands.
I had a very difficult time stitching with four - six strands. However, if you were using a larger count (6, 8, or 11) using more than three strands would be just fine. If you are stitching on a smaller count (18 or 20) using just one would also be just fine. But who am I to tell you how to stitch up your project. It's yours! So make it your way.