Estimating Thread Length?

[MaggieM1750]

I've never done this very accurately before and wondering if anyone has any good tricks.
If I am stitching on 18 ct, full crosses, a straight run of about 5" How much thread will that use? Do I double it, and use a piece 10" long. Is it 1.5 times the length.. so cut a piece 7.5" long? Is it longer.. like 12-14"
I usually just cut.. oh about that much off a spool. It's different every time, never really very accurate, just a length that looks good. Sometimes its only 3-4" if it doesn't look like I color I need very much of, sometimes its 12-18". I've never tried to figure it out before. Has anyone else?

[rcperryls]

Good question. I have never tried to figure it out. I always use the same length, except when using black DMC on my LOTR because it seems to knot up terribly. I would love to know if anyone has figured this out. I often end up with having to rethread because i am a few stitches short.

Carole

[LadyS]

Hmmmm, I'd assume this is hard to calculate as it'll depend on your tension, and how you start and finish threads.

[skitzzzzz]

hope this helps this is how i do it
so say for 25 count fabric
25(count) 150(stitch amount) ( get the stitches amount by multiplying the fabric count by 6.14 )
so 1 meter length on 25 count roughly makes 150 stitches

this is for 1 meter length
one dmc skein contains 313'' or 795 cm thread
hope i explained it lol

[stitchnsew]

I never cut my lengths of thread based on how much area I have to stitch. My skeins are each kept in floss bags, and the length I cut is 3 lengths of the skein, about 15 in. I used to do 4 lengths, but it seemed to get too frayed or thin, so I only use that length once in a while. Anyway, I tried keeping track the other day, and on 18 ct, doing one large area of one color, I got about 45 full crosses with a 3 length piece, and 65 crosses with a 4 length piece. When I don't use the full piece of thread, I just toss the remainder in the floss bag and use it the next time when I need that color.

[JA Fan]

I've never even thought about it. I just cut about a 12" piece because that's the length I'm comfortable with.
I keep any left over thread in a baggie for future use if it's: a) a useable length and b) if it's still in good shape. And yes, sometimes I run out and have to re-thread to finish a run. That can be frustrating if there is only a few stitches to do.
But I'm a simple person and lousy at math. I would get tied up in knots, (like the thread ) if I tried to calculate how much thread to cut for any given straight run.