Parking threads in cross stitch: how the parking method works
On patterns with many scattered colours you spend more time finishing off and restarting than stitching. The parking method changes that: the thread stays in the needle and waits where it is needed next.
What does parking mean?
You work block by block, usually ten by ten squares. When a colour is finished within the block you do not cut the thread. You bring it up through the fabric where the same colour first appears in the next block and leave it hanging at the front. There it is parked.
When is it worth it?
- For confetti: many single stitches in constantly changing colours.
- For full-coverage pieces with many colours, such as photorealistic patterns.
- Less so for large areas of one colour. There you make faster progress colour by colour.
How to park a thread
- Choose a block and start with the first symbol in its top left corner.
- Work all stitches of this colour within the block.
- Look on the chart for where the colour appears next, in the neighbouring block or below.
- Bring the needle up from the back through the hole where the next stitch begins and leave the thread hanging at the front.
- Continue with the next symbol in the block until the block is filled.
Always park in the same corner of the square, bottom left for example. Then you know later where the stitch begins without counting again.
Keeping many threads in order
- Lay parked threads downwards or to the side, away from where you are stitching.
- Use a separate needle for every colour. A pincushion labelled with symbols helps you find them again.
- Do not travel too far: if the colour only returns many blocks later, finish the thread off instead.
- Mark on the chart where a thread is waiting.
Parking in the xstitchr stitching editor
The stitching editor has a dedicated tool for this. With Park (P key) you mark a square and choose the corner where the thread waits. As soon as you tick the stitch off, the mark disappears.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between parking and cross country?
With cross country you stitch one colour across the whole design before the next. With parking you stitch block by block and carry all colours along at once.
Do parked threads show on the front?
No. The thread runs across the back to the next spot and is stitched over there later.
Is parking suitable for beginners?
It is not needed for a first piece. For large patterns with many colours it is worth practising the method on a small area.