Recently, a visitor to the site asked how to estimate the amount of thread she should purchase to work a 16″ square Bargello needlepoint pillow. The answer to this question depends largely on the stitcher, the type of stitches, canvas mesh size, and the kind of thread that will be used.
To help determine how much yarn will be needed, many Bargello patterns include the number of stitches or rows in each repeat of the pattern or motif. However, when stitching Bargello projects that will see a lot of wear and tear like pillows or chair covers, both the front and back of the canvas should be covered with thread to ensure greater durability. Of course, this means you will have to buy more thread than is usually purchased to stitch a smaller project like a framed picture.
Estimating Tapestry and Persian Wool Yarns
Tapestry or Persian wool yarns are available in skeins and hanks. Skeins are great for Bargello needlepoint projects with small areas or motifs that use several different colors. Hanks are more economical and should be purchased for large project areas.
A skein of Paternayan 3-Ply Persian Wool has 8 yards of thread. When stitching with two strands in a needle, you will need about 42″ to cover one square inch of basket weave stitching, which means that one 8-yard skein can cover from 6 to 9 square inches depending on canvas size. On the other hand, a skein of Elsa Williams Tapestry Yarn has 40 yards of thread, and only 58″ of the single-strand thread is needed to cover the same amount of canvas worked in the basket weave stitch.
Method A
As a general rule, six skeins is equal to one ounce of wool yarn, and one ounce is roughly equal to a stretched-out hand laid on the canvas. Here’s an example using my fully stretched-out hands on a 16″ design area of 14-mesh needlepoint canvas:
General Rule: Total # of Stretched-Out Hands x 1 oz of wool x 6 skeins = # of skeins required
My Fully Stretched-Out Hands = 5 x 1 oz of wool x 6 skeins = 30 Skeins
In the above example, I would need 5 oz of wool or 30 skeins.
Method B
To get a more accurate estimate, it would be better to work a one-inch square in your Bargello pattern on the appropriate canvas mesh size for each color you will be using. Then determine the approximate number of one inch squares you think you will be needing from these samples. Multiply the length of yarn used for the samples by the number of squares for each color and add 10% extra just in case.
Method C
Divide the planned Bargello project’s finished size (design area only) by the amount one skein covers on canvas to determine how many skeins you will need. For example one skein of Paternayan Persian Yarn can cover from 6 to 9 square inches of canvas depending on the canvas mesh size, stitching method and type of stitches used.
Estimating Embroidery Floss and Perle Coton
For embroidery floss and DMC Perle Coton, allow about one yard (36 inches) of thread per one square inch.
Practice Makes Better
I’m not saying it’s easy to calculate the amount of yarn or thread you will need to stitch a project; but I know for sure that it gets easier with practice and HELP from the experts at your local needlepoint shop. They are seasoned veterans and “old hands” at figuring out yarn requirements–even down to the strand! In any event, you can never have too much thread. Unopened skeins or packages can be returned, and leftovers can always be used for future projects.
For more information on estimating yarn quantities, check out this chart at May Needle Arts.
[...] who stitches Bargello needlepoint knows that buying sufficient quantities of thread from the same dye lot is crucial to stitching [...]