Cross stitch needle size guide

If you’re new to cross stitching you’ve probably thought lots about your fabric and your threads but no so much about cross stitch needles. There are different needle sizes which work best with certain fabric counts, so finding the best needle for the job will help your stitching look its best. Needle sizes might sound a little confusing at first but they are really easy to get your head around, and most projects you take on will tell you which needle size is best and what type of fabric you need, but it’s always handy to know which needles are used for which fabric types.

About cross stitch needles

Cross stitch needles are called tapestry needles, which have a blunt tip and larger eye than a regular sewing needle, which makes them easier to thread up with cross stitch thread. Cross stitch needles easily pass through the fibers of Aida and evenweave cross stitch fabric.

Different cross stitch needle sizes are available, with varying lengths and widths, so choose the best for your fabric – see our handy cross stitch needle size guide below. Other needles are useful too, try a fine beading needle for adding bead accents. You may also prefer a sharp-tipped embroidery (or crewel) needle to split Aida blocks when stitching fractional stitches.

Tapestry needle size guide

You will need a blunt tapestry needle for cross stitch. Pick the cross stitch needle sizes that matches the count of your fabric. You can find the cross stitch needle sizes you need by referring to the table below. It shows cross stitch needles at actual size, so you can also use it to identify cross stitch needles you have that you don’t know what size they are.

Needle size chart