Learn to pick out your own threads with our tips!
There are so many threads on the market today to choose from! It can be intimidating to know where to begin when it comes to picking them out for yourself- especially if you’re a beginner stitcher.
When you go to order a canvas on our website, you’ll see lots of different options to choose from! Silk, wool, silk/wool blends, cotton and even an option for us to mix and match and completely pick for you (which we love to do!)
But... how do you know what threads will work best for your project? There are lots of things to consider, like what mesh count, type of project and your desired overall "look" for the canvas.
Read on to learn all about our favorites! Shop the full range of threads we carry by clicking here.
Silk Fibers:
Silk fibers are some of our favorites at KC Needlepoint. Silk is one of the most luxurious fibers to work with and comes in a stunning variety of colors.
Silks like Pepper Pot and Vineyard Silk are always our first choice for beginner stitchers. These silks are considered to be “single strand silks” meaning, you work with the thread just as it comes off the skein- there is no need to ply or separate them out. You can use them interchangeably on 18 count, so mix and match from both lines to find that perfect color.
When you stitch with silk, you will see it has a soft luster when placed in the canvas. It’s one of the best choices for any project!
Straw Silk is an interesting and unique thread choice. It is a 100% silk thread that is also a flat ribbon. Many of the colors also have a slight overdye to them. If you look at the thread itself, it almost looks like "straw." Try using long stitches for hay, straw, leaves, tree bark and pine needles. This thread comes in beautiful colors, but their stand outs are the greens and browns! If you've never used it before, try it out on a canvas. It's an amazing fiber.
Silk Threads and recommended quantities for different mesh counts:
| Thread | Quantity | Mesh Count | Tips |
| Vineyard Silk | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Our go to beginner thread. |
| Splendor | 4 Ply | 18 Count Canvas | Needs to be plied, but has one of the brightest and largest selections of colors. |
| Splendor | 6-8 Ply | 13 Count Canvas | # of ply required is dependent on your tension. |
| Pepper Pot Silk | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | One of the most versatile threads, since it can be used on 18 and 13 with loose tension. |
| Planet Earth Silk | 1 Thread | 13 Count Canvas | Slightly thicker than Pepper Pot. Really intended for 13 count. |
| Straw Silk | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Specialty texture that can be mixed in with other threads to add character. Resembles "straw" but is easy and fun to work with. |
Wool Fibers:
Wool is one of the strongest and most durable fibers to select for your project. It’s our go to thread for anything that is going to be “used” and "worn." Wallets, belts and key fobs should all be stitched in wool so that they last many years and wear well.
Wool has a matte finish when stitched in the canvas. There are lots of great wool fibers to choose from. We have recently added Bella Lusso to our website, which is a great thread for small sections of belts, or any color you don’t need much of! Since it is such a fine thread, it can also be blended together to help negotiate shading in a technique called "tweeding."
If you love stitching in wool, but still want to add a little sparkle to your project, try out “Glisten”- a new wool with a metallic thread from Rainbow Gallery.
Wool threads and recommended quantities for different mesh counts:
| Thread | Quantity | Mesh Count | Tips |
| Glisten | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | A great sparkly addition to wools. Great colors. |
| Vineyard Merino | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Our favorite belt and wallet thread. |
| Bella Lusso | 2 Threads | 18 Count Canvas | Our go to thread for Turkey Work. Use 3 threads for a very fluffy effect. |
| Bella Lusso | 4 Threads | 13 Count Canvas | Only use on 13 for very small areas of colors. Really intended for 18 Count. |
Silk/Wool Blended Fibers:
One of the best fibers for 13 count canvas is a blend of wool and silk known as Silk and Ivory. It is so soft and easy to work with. If you are the type of stitcher with very tight tension, you may also enjoy working with the thread on 18 count canvas. It’s a very versatile fiber.
Planet Earth Essentials is another one of our favorite fibers. It's a newer thread line that we're very excited to now offer. It’s best used on an 18 count canvas. In addition to being soft and smooth to work with, it is perfect for small areas of color that you don’t want to purchase a ton of thread for. Plus it retails for only
$2.85!
$2.85!
Wool/ silk blends and recommended quantities for different mesh counts:
| Thread | Quantity | Mesh Count | Tips |
| Silk and Ivory | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Only use on 18 count with tight tension. |
| Silk and Ivory | 1 Thread | 13 Count Canvas | Lovely and soft. You will adore working with S&I on 13 Count. |
| Planet Earth Essentials | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Perfect for small areas of color. Easy to use. |
Metallic and Synthetic Fibers:
Get ready to have some fun!
Mixing in synthetic fibers into your canvas is a great way to add some personality and life to a project. There are fuzzy fibers, fluffy fibers, and even sparkly fibers to choose from depending on your desired effect.
Mixing in synthetic fibers into your canvas is a great way to add some personality and life to a project. There are fuzzy fibers, fluffy fibers, and even sparkly fibers to choose from depending on your desired effect.
There truly is a metallic thread for every effect you could want. If you want a super sparkly thread, try out Fyre Werks. For a softer sparkle, try Silk Lamé Braid and Neon Rays Plus. If you want a shine without sparkle, try Neon Rays. Entice is a very cost effective option, but you will want to work with shorter strands of it because it can fray.
Try fuzzy threads like Fuzzy Stuff, Angora and Alpaca for animals, hair, beards and even clouds. Eyelash is another wild and fuzzy thread that is relatively new to the market. It has very long, fluffy filaments so it is best tacked down on the canvas or used for long stitches, rather than used for basketweave.
Metallic and Synthetic recommended quantities for different mesh counts:
| Thread | Quantity | Mesh Count | Tips |
| Accentuate | 1-2 Threads | 18 Count | A blending filament that can be doubled over and used on its own on 18 count canvas or blended with other fibers to add a sparkle. |
| Alpaca | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Beautiful browns and grays. Great for woodland critters. |
| Angora | 1 Thread | 13 Count Canvas | Makes the perfect Santa's beard. |
| Arctic Rays | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Extra long sparkly fringe. |
| Capri | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Polyester single strand thread. Amazing neon colors that can't be found in other thread lines. Cost effective. |
| Entice | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Similar to Silk Lamé. May fray so work with short threads. |
| Eyelash | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Extra fluffy, long filaments. Needs to be couched/tacked down to the canvas or stitched with long stitches. Do not use for Basketweave. |
| Flair | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Best used for long stitches to see effect of thread. |
| Fuzzy Stuff | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Lightly fluffy. Comes in bright colors. |
| Fyre Werks | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Best golds and silvers. Extra sparkly. |
| Gold Rush | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Similar to Silk Lamé but more metallic. |
| Neon Rays | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Shiny, no sparkle. Thread needs to be laid flat. |
| Neon Rays Plus | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Flat thread with a sparkly filament. |
| Petite Silk Lamé Braid | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas |
Great for light coverage. Extra fine. |
| Petite Sparkle Rays | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Comes in neon colors unavailable in other thread lines. |
| Petite Very Velvet | 1 Thread | 13/18 Count Canvas | Soft and velvety. Perfect for Santa's suit. |
| Silk Lamé Braid for 18 | 1 Thread |
13/18 Count Canvas |
Our go to sparkly thread. Huge line of beautiful colors. |
| Silk Lamé Braid for 13 | 1 Thread | 13 Count Canvas | Thicker than the 18 count versions. Colors correspond across all sizes. |
| Very Velvet | 1 Thread | 13 Count Canvas | Soft and velvety. Slightly thicker than the 18 count version. |
| Winter | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas | Another sparkly white. As the name suggests... a good option for snow! |
| Wisper | 1-2 Threads | 18 Count Canvas | Very thin and wispy. Double up for good coverage on 18. |
Overdyed Fibers:
Overdyed Fibers are just what they sound like! Threads that are dyed multiple times to incorporate multiple dye colors and shades into a single thread. Because of the labor intensive process involved, overdyed threads tend to be a little more expensive, but the effect is unmatched!
While we wouldn't recommend stitching an entire canvas in overdyed threads, they can be fun to toss in for an "ombré" effect. They work perfectly for oceans, sunsets, foliage and so much more!
One of our favorite overdyed threads is Threadworx Overdyed Metallics. They have the most beautiful overdyed sparkly threads.
If you've never used overdyed fibers before, order a few and give them a try. You won't regret it!
Overdyed Fiber recommended quantities for different mesh counts:
| Thread | Quantity | Mesh Count |
| Threadworx Overdyed Legacy | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas |
| Threadworx Overdyed Perle Cotton | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas |
| Threadworx Overdyed Metallics | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas |
| Watercolors | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas |
Cotton Fibers:
Cotton is the most cost effective thread to kit your project in. We offer a huge selection of both DMC 3 (intended for 13 Count Canvas) and DMC 5 (intended for 18 Count Canvas). These are both single strand threads which means you work with them just as they come off the skein.
Metallic and Synthetic recommended quantities for different mesh counts:
| Thread | Quantity | Mesh Count |
| DMC Pearl 3 | 1 Thread | 13 Count Canvas |
| DMC Pearl 5 | 1 Thread | 18 Count Canvas |
Can I mix different fibers together?
Absolutely! Have fun with your thread choices and try mixing and matching together different fibers for a variety of different textures.
You will want to ensure that all of your threads are appropriate for the mesh count you are working on, but other than that, have fun with it!
Comments
Alex said:
Great breakdown of threads! Super helpful.
Lisa Hester said:
This is wonderful and very informative! I love KC needlepoint!
Charlotte said:
Your Post contained valuable information for a beginner or experienced stitcher! Especially for needlepointers without local a LNS!
kcc said:
Very helpful — thanks!
Diane Burnes said:
The thread information is excellent!! Thank you very much for sharing it.
Sarah said:
This is so helpful. Will be placing a big thread order soon for my next canvas!