How to Use a Waste Knot to Anchor the Bargello Stitch

Unlike other needlepoint stitches, the Bargello stitch with its long and somewhat loose effect can cause a problem when anchoring the first stitch of a needlepoint project. The best way to solve the problem is to use a waste knot to secure the beginning strand, which can later be clipped off and removed.

The waste knot should be made in the direction you will be stitching and should be no more than 1 1/2 inches long. Here’s how to use a waste knot to anchor your first Bargello stitch.

— Make a knot that will not pull through a canvas hole in the end of the thread. About an inch away from where you plan to make your first stitch, insert needle down into the canvas so that the waste knot is visible on the right side of canvas.

— Bring the needle up at the first stitch placement area and make the stitch as usual. Continue to stitch toward the waste knot, covering the length of thread that is beneath the canvas.

— Carefully clip off the waste knot when it is reached and continue to stitch. The thread end disappears to the wrong side of the canvas since it is held in place by the stitches you have just worked over it.

The waste knot is used only to anchor the beginning strand—not for starting a new strand for additional stitching. All other strands are begun and ended by weaving through the back of the stitches you have already worked. Here’s how to weave in threads to start a new strand.

— On the wrong side of the canvas, weave the thread through an inch or so of stitches, pulling the new thread to the point where the tail is secure and the end does not show.

— Bring the needle to the right side of the canvas and begin stitching. When using slippery threads make a backstitch for a more secure anchor.

— To keep your work neat, cut ends short to avoid tangling or being pulled to right side as you continue to stitch. Unless the ends are trimmed, the finished Bargello needlepoint may be uneven instead of smooth.

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