How to start and end a thread in cross stitch without knots
No knots. They make lumps under the fabric and show when the piece is pressed.
The loop start
Cut a single strand twice as long as usual, fold it in half and thread the two cut ends through the needle, leaving the fold as a loop at the end. Bring the needle up from the back for the first half-stitch, go down, and on the back pass the needle through the loop before pulling tight. The thread is anchored with nothing to trim. It only works for an even number of strands.
The away waste knot
For three strands or a single one, knot the end and go down through the front of the fabric about an inch away from where you will stitch, in a spot that will later be covered. Stitch towards the knot; the thread running underneath gets caught by your stitches. Snip the knot off when you reach it.
Ending a thread
Turn the work over and run the needle under the backs of four or five stitches of the same colour, then trim close. On dark fabric, pass under dark stitches rather than pale ones, or the pale tail can show through to the front.
