Floss calculator: how many skeins?
Enter the stitches for each colour of your pattern and see how much six-strand floss to buy, colour by colour, for your fabric and the number of strands you stitch with.
Floss to buy
- Stitches entered
- 6,230 full, 60 half, 420 backstitch lengths
- Floss needed
- 31 m (3.8 skeins with the 10% extra)
- One 8 m skein covers
- about 1,830 full crosses at these settings
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How the floss estimate works
Count the stitches for each colour: many charts print the count beside each thread in the key, and the pattern maker on this site lists them for you. Count a three-quarter stitch as a full cross and a quarter stitch as a half. For backstitch, count stitch lengths: one square side is 1, a diagonal about 1.4.
The estimate follows the Needlework FAQ. A full cross uses about 6 ÷ count inches of the working thread, covering both legs on the front, the travel on the back and a little slack. A half stitch uses half that. Backstitch covers each length once on the front and twice on the back, with the same slack. Floss is cut into lengths, 18 inches by default, and about 3 inches of each goes on starting, finishing and waste. A DMC skein holds 8 metres of six strands.
Worked example: 3,200 full crosses of DMC 321 on 14-count with two strands. Each cross takes 6 ÷ 14 = 0.43 inches of two-strand thread, 1,371 inches in all, or 2,743 inches of single strand. Only 15 of every 18 inches cut ends up in stitches, so 3,291 inches come off the skeins. A skein holds 6 × 315 = 1,890 inches of single strand: 1.74 skeins, 1.92 with 10% extra. Buy 2.
The Extra covers unpicking, tension and buying from one dye lot: a skein bought later can be a slightly different shade. Stitchers vary, so if you know you stitch tightly or loosely, adjust the waste or the extra after your first project.
Sources
- Kathleen Dyer, Needlework FAQ: Counted Cross Stitch, chapter 3, "The Amount of Floss" (crosstitch.com): 6 ÷ count inches per cross, 18 in lengths with 3 in for starting, finishing and waste, and a stitches-per-skein chart.
- Kathleen Dyer, Needlework FAQ, chapter 1: floss cut 18 to 20 inches long; backstitch most often in a single strand.
- DMC, Six-strand embroidery floss: sold in 8.7 yard / 8 metre skeins whose six strands separate easily.
Questions
How many stitches does one skein of floss cover?
With the default settings, about 1,830 full crosses on 14-count with two strands. The Needlework FAQ's chart gives 1,785, from a slightly shorter skein. Three strands cut that to about 1,220, and coarser fabric takes more thread per stitch, so 11-count with two strands covers about 1,440.
Why add extra floss?
Mistakes get unpicked, tension varies, and dye lots differ slightly, so a skein bought months later may not quite match. A small margin, 10% by default, rounds up colours that are close to a whole skein. Set it to 0 if you already have spare thread.
Is evenweave over two the same as Aida for floss?
Very nearly. 28-count evenweave stitched over two makes the same size stitches as 14-count Aida, so choose it from the list and the estimate matches. Stitch over one thread instead and each cross is half the size and uses about half the thread.
What about French knots or metallic thread?
Knots are not counted here; a few rarely need more than an extra length. Metallic and blending threads are usually cut shorter to stop fraying, so more of each length is wasted: lower the length you cut, raise the waste, and check the skein length on the label.
Where is my list saved?
Only in this browser's local storage on your device, so it is there when you come back. Nothing is sent anywhere. Use Clear all to remove it, or the CSV button to keep a copy.