Comment broder Looped french knot
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The Looped french knot, step by step
We guide you here, step by step, to embroider the Looped french knot.
The looped french knot is worked by wrapping the thread several times around the needle while keeping the wraps loose, forming small visible and decorative loops on the surface of the fabric.
1 – Bring the needle up at A on the right side of the fabric.
2 – Pull the thread towards you with your left hand. With your right hand, hold the needle perpendicular to the thread and wrap the thread three times around the needle, keeping the wraps loose.
3 – Insert the needle at B, approximately 1 mm from point A. Slide the three wraps down to the fabric surface without tightening them, and hold them in place with your left thumb at the base.
4 – Pull the entire thread through to the back of the work, keeping the thread under your thumb so the loops remain in place. Secure the thread under the previously worked stitches.
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FOR RIGHT-HANDED EMBROIDERERS: The looped french knot is worked by holding the thread with the left hand.
FOR LEFT-HANDED EMBROIDERERS: The looped french knot is worked by holding the thread with the right hand. Tips for a successful looped french knot
Tips for a perfect looped french knot
Entry point position: Never reinsert the needle in exactly the same hole as the starting point — always insert it approximately 1 mm away to prevent the loops from slipping through to the back.
Looseness of the wraps: Always keep the three wraps loose around the needle — it is this looseness that allows the loops to remain visible on the surface.
Sliding the wraps down without tightening: Slide the wraps down to the fabric surface without tightening them before pulling the needle through, so the loops form correctly.
Holding the thread: Keep the thread under your thumb at the base of the wraps until the entire thread has been pulled through to the back.
The size of the loops depends on how loose the wraps are: the slacker the wraps, the more generous the loops.
Result
On the front: three small loops forming a light and airy decorative raised texture on the fabric surface.
On the back: a small, discreet stitch securing the thread.
EXPLORE FURTHER
The Looped french knot, an essential stitch for learning hand embroidery
The looped french knot is used to represent airy stamens, seeds or stylised corollas in floral and botanical designs.
It appears in traditional embroidery as a lighter variation of the french knot, bringing volume and movement to a composition.
Worked close together, looped knots create soft, lush areas that are highly expressive.
Looped french knot: an airy variation of the knotted stitch.
Its construction follows the same motion as the french knot, but the thread wraps remain slack around the needle rather than being pressed flat against the fabric.
This difference in tension produces a small, open and generous raised effect, ideal for playing with depth within a motif.
It holds an original place in the repertoire of textural effects in hand embroidery.
DISCOVER OTHER STITCHES
Why learn the Looped french knot?
• discover an airy variation of the french knot and understand how tension affects the result
• create open, light raised effects to enrich floral motifs
• explore texture and depth effects in your compositions
• broaden your repertoire with a knotted stitch of original decorative possibilities
Learn the Looped french knot with Un Chat dans l’Aiguille
At Un Chat dans l’Aiguille, the looped french knot is taught step by step with clear, structured guidance.
Our approach to teaching is part of a complete hand embroidery stitch encyclopaedia, designed to support every embroiderer on their journey.
It allows you to progress at your own pace whilst building precision, consistency, and confidence in hand embroidery.