Cross Stitch Terms and Acronyms for Beginners

Starting a new craft can be a bit overwhelming when you’re trying to decipher what all of the acronyms mean. It can take a while to learn the jargon, and every now and then you’ll come across a term you haven’t heard before and think, “what in the world does that mean?”

This list of beginner cross stitch terms will take your knowledge from a complete newbie to a seasoned stitcher in no time!

Aida – The most popular type of cross stitch cloth. It is an even weave fabric that has some stiffness which makes it great for beginners.

Backstitch – A stitch typically used for outlining that is made in a contrasting color. Backstitch refers to the way the stitch is stitched.

Chart – A cross stitch pattern.

Count – Count refers to the size of the fabric. Count means how many squares per inch are in the fabric.

FFO – Fully Finished Object or Finally Finished Object

Flosstube – A community of creators that post YouTube videos about their cross-stitching. If you’d like to learn more, check out my “What is Flosstube?” blog post. Dip your toes into the flosstube world by starting with my videos here.

FO – Finished Object

Frog – Ripping out stitches in your project after you’ve made a mistake

Full Coverage – A pattern that has no negative space. In other words, cross stitches cover the entire fabric.

LNS – Local Needlework Store

Needle Minder – A decorative magnet that holds your needle while you’re not stitching.

SAL – Stitch along

Tapestry Needle –  a blunt tipped needle for cross stitch that comes in different sizes

UFO – Unfinished object

WIP – Work in Progress

Pin this handy cheat-sheet so you can easily refer back to this post when you need to!

Looking for more helpful beginner guides for cross stitch? Check out my guide Beginner’s Guide to Cross Stitch Fabric and Needles.

Any beginner cross stitch terms that I missed? Let me know in the comments below!

xo, Hailey