Cross-Stitch Tutorial by PaperRockScissorz with images and [additional notes] by RedHerring
Feel free to reply to the threads with questions regarding a particular part or notes to add; the tutorials will be revised to reflect what's been discussed.
It’s kind of hard to pick a place to start a cross-stitch tutorial. I don’t want to offend anyone by instructing on simple things (e.g. threading a needle), but I’ve been asked some things that one would think are pretty much common knowledge. So let me note in advance that I’m going to try to explain EVERYTHING. I’ll just go through the process as if I were picking a sprite and following it all the way through.
- Pick a sprite: If it’s much larger than Mario or a few Final Fantasy characters, I would run it through a program called PCStitch which can be found here. I may make another Tutorial one day just on PCStitch, but until then feel free to ask me if you have any questions about it. It’s pretty easy to figure out if you sit down and play with it for an hour or so. Note: If it is a small sprite, I just blow it up really big in picture viewer, paint, etc and do it by eye. [Stitching is a lot more time consuming than one would expect at first so starting up with a sprite under a hundred pixels to get a good feel would be a wise choice]
- Get your thread: One good thing about stitching is it’s pretty much impossible to not be able to find the right color. Most everyone I know uses DMC thread though there are some alternatives. To each their own; I only use DMC, so that’s what I’d tell you to use. If you run the sprite through PCStitch, it will tell you what colors to use (Note: sometimes it is WRONG about the best color. You should always double check or you could buy multiple colors if you have doubts since thread is pretty cheap). If you don’t run it through PCStitch, you’ll just have to eye it like I did with my guitar strap project. You can get thread at Michael’s (that’s where I get all mine) or order it online or go somewhere else you know that has thread. [What you'll be looking for is a store that's selling embroidery supplies]
[While there are different brands of thread, sticking with one is definitely the best strategy since every brand has a different numbering system; it's easier to get ahold of a particular shade when you need more if you don't have too much of the same color from all over lying around.]
[Spools will be necessary eventually for storage; you don't want a bunch of tangled up thread] - Get your canvas : This can get confusing. Aida fabrics is the most commonly used canvas for stitchers. It comes in several different colors, and several different sizes. The size works like this: the smaller the number, the fewer stitches you get per inch (i.e. the farther apart the holes are, so the easier it is to stitch). 14 count is what I believe to be the most standard size. 16 & 18 are fairly easy to work with, and I think I’ve worked with as small as 22 which was an interesting experience to say the least. If you’re just beginning, I would say go for 14 or 16 until you get used to it. Really, it depends on how big you want whatever it is you’re making to be. I don’t want to insult your math skills, but you can figure out size like this: Say you are working with 14 count Aida on a sprite that is 69x86 pixels. Divide the length and width of the sprite by 14, and that’s how many inches it will be on each side (so for my example it should be about 5x6). Sometimes it’s not exact, but usually it works. Your other option for canvas is plastic canvas which I love and find to be much easier to work with. It can also be found at Michael’s, and I would say go with clear because there tends to be a lot more “showing through” with plastic canvas than with Aida. (Apparently RedHerring is having a hard time finding it, but 14 count plastic canvas it the way to go. You will not get any appropriate coverage with less than 14, and I’m not sure if they make greater than 14. IT CAN BE FOUND ONLINE). Also, if you use Aida, make sure to get a loop or something to hold the canvas taught while you stitch. They make loops in different sizes (I have 4 or so different sizes, myself), and then they make scrolls for larger projects.
[Two brands of 14 count aïda cloth and a 10 count plastic canvas underneath. White and ivory are the most common fabric colors to find but some stores might hold others. Shopping online is your best bet though]
[Three different sized hoops; the small one is 4 inches across to give an idea of the scale] - Decide on a stitch : Some people use half-stitches (/ or \) and some people use cross-stitches (x). There are more choices available, but you’ll have to peruse the internet for those. I always use cross-stitch because half-stitches do not make full squares, and that bothers my OCD. You can see an example of half-stitch in OneChordWonder’s Showroom specifically you can tell on this piece (notice how you can see black in between the red of the tongue… with cross stitch, you wouldn’t be able to) and an example of cross-stitch in mine. I won’t go into how to do half stitches since I don’t use them. It’s easier and takes less time to do them since it’s pretty much half of the work you’d be doing otherwise, so you may want to look into it. Basically instead of splitting your string (like I’ll tell you about later) you use all 6 strands.
[Another great example comes from alittlestranger; you can clearly see the half stitches. She used 3 strands on an 18 count cloth] - Picking a needle: There are sharp needles and rounded-tip needles. Usually you can find somewhere on the needle package what size fabric the needle is recommended for. I typically use the skinniest needle with the smallest eye that I can bear to use because it makes maneuvering through fabric much easier though it makes the needle harder to thread.
[Two brands of needles and some small crafts scissors which are highly recommended]
[A blunt cross stitch needle like the one atop is better to start off with to give a feel of the holes in the fabric since you'll have a better chance not to poke through at the wrong place. Any sharp needle can be used as long as the eye is about as thin as the body.
Part 2. Start Stitching
I prefer blunt-tipped tweezers because sharp ones tend to just destroy the thread. 
