French Knot Stitch -Best STEP by STEP Tutorial

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Getting tied up in knots is NOT what you want to do as you learn this very useful embroidery called the French knot stitch. The French knot stitch can look rather challenging, but like everything in life, following simple instructions and practicing will always give you the perfect result.

Table of Contents

French Knot Stitch

What can the French Knot Stitch be Used For?

French knot stitch is very useful for little bits of texture that can be added to any embroidery design. They can cluster together or stand-alone. Their bobble effect makes them ideal for designs of small furry animals and my favorites - starbursts and dandelions. French knot stitch lends itsself to small flowers in clusters such as lavender or flowers seen from a distance.

Here are French knots placed in the center of a lazy daisy stitch. The little knots look like pollen when done in yellow.

french knots and lazy daisy — French Knot Stitch

In the below photo, I have used the French knot stitch to create a fireworks effect. A similar design can be done to look like dandelions. All you need to do is add a few more knots towards the center.

How to do French Knot Stitch

Preparation and Supplies

HOOP - Have your fabric held securely in an embroidery hoop as this will make it easier to get nice tight knots. Bamboo or plastic frames are cheap and you only need a small one as you can move it around your fabric.
THREAD - The most commonly used thread for embroidery is embroidery floss. For French knot stitch, it is best to use all 6 strands as it will result in a chunkier knot. You can vary this of course if you have the patience to do really fine work.
NEEDLES - The needle should match the fabric and thread thickness. Read my article on hand sewing needle types. The most common to use for this purpose is an embroidery needle.
MARKING - You can make the French knot stitch positions with a pencil or removable fabric pen. This is one of the simplest embroidery stitches so marking is not as essential as for other styles.

If you are new to embroidery, then read my how to embroider article for lots of tips on supplies and basic stitches to get you started.

Step 1 - Needle to Top

Start the French Knot with your needle and thread coming up from the back of the fabric. Leave a ‘tail’ of thread hanging behind under the fabric that you will work in later, or work a backstitch to hold the thread to keep the stitch secure.

french knots step 1 — Step 1 - French Knot Stitch

Step 2 - Twist

The start of the knot requires two hands to get the tension and spacing right, so be prepared to use one hand to hold the needle and the other to hold the thread.

Put your needle in front of the thread you are holding on the right side of the fabric. You will be winding the thread to make the knot but if you wind from the front the knot will not retain its shape.

Wind the embroidery floss around the needle two or three times. Then, wind it on with your non-needle hand. Keep the thread taut as you wind it, and keep the needle still. The more times you wind, the larger the knot.

french knots step 2 — Step 2 - French Knot Stitch

Step 3 - Back Down

Keep the coil wrapped around the needle taut as you insert the needle into the fabric. Insert the needle close to the original entry point.

IMPORTANT: Do not go back into the same space because your knot will unravel.

french knot step 3 — Step 3 - French Knot Stitch

Step 4 - Pull

Your non-needle hand is holding a length of floss. Pull that length of floss down towards the tip of the needle This will pull the coiled thread down the needle and as it tightens it makes a little bundle of thread bunched at the bottom.

The coil of thread should be firmly at the bottom of the needle next to the fabric. Pull the thread right the way through the fabric to the back.

French Knot Stitch Variations

You can vary the size of the knot by the number of times you wind the thread around the needle. Look at how the amount of twists affects the size of the knot.

french knot sizes — French Knot Stitch Size Variations

Start the next stitch close by for a filler stitch, or in the pattern of your choice, using the same techniques.

Making Flowers with the French Knot Stitch

The French knot stitch looks great for the center of flowers made with the lazy daisy stitch. This simple flower uses the chain stitch to anchor the ends of the petals. Leaving a larger circle in the middle will leave you plenty of space for the French knot stitch in the center.