How to make
Billion knots
Billion knots are not the easiest knots to make but do take the trouble to master them as they are truly worth the effort.
Billion knots, that resemble little worms, are a game changer for when you want to add texture, dimension and a wow factor to your embroidery projects.
The secret to making these knots is using the right needle. You need a needle where the eye and shaft is the same width so that you have no resistance when pulling the needle through the wrapped thread.
There are needles especially made for making billion knots or you can use milliners or straw needles. These needles are long and have the same width from top to bottom.
Have a look at my short video demonstration below to learn how to make a billion knot.
If you are having trouble viewing the video, please click here to watch it on Youtube.
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Step by step
Follow along and you will very soon master this special knot.
Tip
Making this knot is fiddly business but it is surprisingly robust and can handle being fiddled with. Don’t be afraid to ‘work it’ until it looks good.
If your project requires several billion knots, make a few anchor stitches at the back of the fabric between each knot. This will be very helpful if you need to re-do a knot or if your thread breaks.
Start by threading your needle with embroidery floss. I used 3 strands (DMC) in this tutorial. Knot the end of the floss.
Bring your needle up from the back of the fabric, where you want to start your stitch.
Insert the needle back into the fabric, where you want the knot to end. A short knot is easier to make whereas a long knot is more impressive but difficult.
Start with a short stitch to practice on and lengthen it as you feel more confident.
Pull the needle through to the back but leave a long loop on top. You will use the loop to wrap around the needle.
Bring the needle up from the bottom next to where you started the stitch. Let about three quarters of the needle peek out above the fabric while holding on to the bottom part.
Wrap the thread around the needle (away from you.) Keep the tension loose but not floppy. Too tight means you won’t be able to pull the needle through and too loose leaves the knot uneven and messy.
Put your index finger behind the needle where the last wrap ended. That is the part of the wrap you need to keep together by pinching it.
Place you thumb over your index finger and pinch the needle/thread to hold it in place.
Gently pull the needle with your other hand. Hold the pinch as you pull and wiggle the needle.
If the needle won’t come out, hold the thread while pushing the wraps down the needle, until the needle comes free.
This is what it will look like. It might even be a mess of uneven wraps. Don’t worry as this can all be ‘fiddled’ into a good looking worm.
Push the needle under the loop/worm and run it from end to end to even the wraps out. Do this until you feel that the wraps are evenly spread out.
Pinch the loop between your fingers again and pull on the tread with your other hand while holding on to the loop. If it still looks uneven, fiddle with it more until you are happy with how it looks.
To anchor the knot in place, insert the needle back into the fabric next to where the knot ends. Pull gently.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
How to control the length of the knot
Wind a few ‘wraps’ around the needle. Push the wraps down towards the fabric while holding on to the thread. Bend the needle towards where the knot will end and you will be able to see how long your knot is.
Always add one or two extra wraps to ensure that the worm is full and dense looking.
If you want the loop to lift away from the fabric, just add more wraps.
This is a flower I made for my next video and the addition, on a whim, of the billion worms added a bit of a 3D effect as well as texture.
Try it! It is not as hard as it looks and practice, practice, practice makes perfect.
Blanket stitch
Variations
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