Which Aida count to choose for cross-stitch

For your first project, choose Aida 14: you can see the holes without a magnifier, and the finished piece comes out a normal size. The count is the number of stitches per inch. The higher it is, the smaller each stitch and the smaller the finished piece from the same pattern.

In short

• Aida 11 is coarse: a large piece, easy stitching, less detail.
• Aida 14 suits almost anything, including a first project.
• Aida 16 and 18 are fine: more detail in the same size, but slower stitching and harder on the eyes.
• Size in inches is the number of stitches divided by the count.
• Decide how big the piece should be first, then choose the fabric, and only then the pattern’s width in stitches.

What is Aida cloth?

Aida is a cotton fabric for cross-stitch, woven in square blocks with a hole at each corner. Each cross stitch fills one block, so counting is easy and the stitches come out even. The number after the name (11, 14, 16, 18) is printed on the package: it is how many blocks fit in one inch.

How do Aida 11, 14, 16 and 18 differ?

The pattern stays the same; only the stitch size changes. Here is how wide a pattern of 100 and 150 stitches will be:

Fabric	Stitch size	100 stitches	150 stitches
Aida 11	2.3 mm	9.1 in (23.1 cm)	13.6 in (34.6 cm)
Aida 14	1.8 mm	7.1 in (18.1 cm)	10.7 in (27.2 cm)
Aida 16	1.6 mm	6.3 in (15.9 cm)	9.4 in (23.8 cm)
Aida 18	1.4 mm	5.6 in (14.1 cm)	8.3 in (21.2 cm)

No need to work it out by hand: the editor shows the size in centimeters next to the width in stitches and updates it when you change the fabric.

Which Aida count is best for beginners?

Aida 14. A block of about 1.8 mm is visible without a magnifier, the needle finds the holes easily, and a 100-stitch pattern comes out about 7 in (18 cm) wide. Aida 11 is coarser still and suits children or anyone who finds small blocks hard to count, but the picture looks blockier on it. Aida 16 and 18 are for more detail in the same size or for small items such as cards and key rings.

How does the count affect the picture?

When the size of the piece is fixed, the count decides how many stitches fit into it, and the number of stitches decides the detail. A width of 20 cm (about 8 in) holds 87 stitches on Aida 11, 110 on Aida 14 and 142 on Aida 18.

We made three patterns from one picture, each 20 cm wide, all with 12 colors:

The puppy is recognizable in all three. On Aida 11 the fur is grouped into large patches, while on Aida 18 you can see individual locks and subtle color changes. All three patterns have the same number of colors, so the only difference is how many stitches each detail gets.

If the picture is simple, with large flat patches, a finer fabric adds almost nothing. Which pictures hold up at a small size is covered in Best photos and pictures for a cross-stitch pattern.

How many strands should I use on each count?

DMC floss comes as a thread of 6 strands, which you separate for stitching. For a stitch that covers the block without being too thick, the usual choice is:

Fabric	Strands of floss
Aida 11	3
Aida 14	2
Aida 16	2
Aida 18	1–2

Treat this as a starting point and adjust to what you see. Try a couple of stitches at the edge of the fabric: if the fabric shows through, add a strand; if the stitch looks lumpy, take one away.

How much floss will I need on each count?

On finer fabric each stitch is shorter, so one skein covers more stitches. By the editor’s estimate, stitching with 2 strands, one DMC skein covers about:

• 860 stitches on Aida 11;
• 1,100 on Aida 14;
• 1,250 on Aida 16;
• 1,400 on Aida 18.

The estimate includes thread for starting, finishing and moving between areas. The editor shows the skeins for your own pattern in the thread list, color by color. The list assumes 2 strands, so if you stitch with 3 on Aida 11, you’ll use about one and a half times as much floss.

How much fabric should I buy?

The size of the design plus 5 cm (2 in) on every side, so the fabric fits in a hoop and can be framed. A 100 × 100-stitch pattern on Aida 14 is 7.1 in (18.1 cm) square, so you need a piece of about 11 × 11 in (28 × 28 cm). The editor gives the fabric size in the thread list, with the same margin.

Try it

Upload a picture to the editor, choose a count in the “Fabric” section and watch the size in centimeters change. If the piece comes out too big, choose a higher count or reduce the width in stitches. If small details get lost, do the opposite: increase the width and choose a finer fabric so the size stays the same.