| Size | 21 × 17 stitches |
|---|---|
| Colours | 6 · DMC |
| Total stitches | 224 |
| Difficulty | Beginner (1/5) |
| Finished on 14-count | 1.5 × 1.2 in (3.8 × 3.1 cm) |
| Finished on 16-count | 1.3 × 1.1 in (3.3 × 2.7 cm) |
| Finished on 18-count | 1.2 × 0.9 in (3 × 2.4 cm) |
| Licence | CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for personal use with credit |
Materials
About this design
The robin faces left with a Burnt Orange (946) breast, a Brown Light (434) back and wings, and a Coffee Brown (801) outline. Its belly is Tan Ultra Very Light (739), the beak is Black and the eye has a single Blanc highlight. Its round shape and short legs make it look cosy, just right for a Christmas card.
Stitch counts: 75 in 434 (Brown Light), 65 in 801 (Coffee Brown Dk), 60 in 946 (Burnt Orange Med), 17 in 739 (Tan Ult Vy Lt), 6 in 310 (Black) and 1 in BLANC (White), 224 full cross stitches in all. One skein of each colour is plenty.
How to work it
Stitch the orange breast first; it is the biggest single area and anchors the rest of the bird. Keep all your top stitches crossing in the same direction; it is the one habit that makes a finished piece look tidy. Two strands on 14-count Aida work well.
Finishing ideas
On 14-count Aida the 21 × 17 stitch design comes out at about 1.5 × 1.2 inches, and on 18-count about 1.2 × 0.9 inches. Mount it in a 4-inch hoop, or use it for a Christmas card or a tree ornament.
Colour plan
DMC 434 Brown Light does the most work, 33% of the 224 stitches, followed by DMC 801 Coffee Brown Dk at 29%. DMC 310 Black (6) and DMC BLANC White (1) are used only a little: small details worth marking on the chart so you don't miss them. 37% of the grid is left empty.
Working notes
12 squares stand alone in their colour, with no same-coloured neighbour along a side; stitch those as you pass rather than starting a new thread for each. The busiest row changes colour 7 times.
Anchor equivalents
The nearest Anchor colour for each DMC colour in this pattern, measured as ΔE 2000: up to 3 is very close, up to 6 close, up to 10 approximate.
This is an original CraftPatterns design, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0: stitch it, share it and gift what you make — please credit craftpatterns.app and don't sell the pattern itself. Want to change it? Open it in the cross stitch editor.
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