Cross-stitch floss calculator
Enter each colour's stitch count from your chart. The calculator works out skeins for your fabric and number of strands, including half stitches and backstitch.
Updated
| Colour | Full crosses | Half & quarter | Backstitch (in) | Skeins | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | |||||
Most charts list the stitch count for each colour in the key. Skeins are 8 m (8.7 yd) DMC or Anchor stranded cotton, rounded up, with an allowance for starting and finishing threads built in.
Tips for buying floss
- Buy one extra skein of the colour with the most stitches: running out halfway is worse than a spare in the stash.
- Check dye lots for large areas of one colour. DMC and Anchor are very consistent, but it's worth buying big quantities together.
- Organise as you go: wind each colour onto a numbered bobbin, or use a floss drop, so you always know which DMC number is which.
Common questions
How many cross stitches can you get from one skein?
About 1,900 full crosses on 14-count Aida with 2 strands, and about 2,450 on 18-count. A standard DMC or Anchor skein is 8 m (8.7 yd) of 6-strand cotton, so you get three 2-strand lengths from every piece you cut.
How many skeins do I need for a cross-stitch pattern?
Take the stitch count for each colour from the chart key, and divide by the stitches one skein covers on your fabric with your number of strands. Round up for each colour separately; the calculator does it for all your colours at once.
Do half stitches use half the thread?
Roughly, yes. Half and quarter stitches use about half the thread of a full cross, so the calculator counts them as half. Backstitch is worked out from its length.