Nobuko Stitch in Needlepoint: How to Work It, With Diagrams

Nobuko is a diagonal needlepoint stitch that alternates a short stitch over one canvas intersection with a long stitch over three. It's worked in horizontal rows, and each row nests into the row above so long stitches sit beside short ones and the canvas is completely covered. The result is a broken diagonal texture that catches light unevenly, which is why it turns up so often in skies, water, and snow.

What nobuko stitch is

Every stitch in nobuko slants the same way as a tent stitch, from bottom left to top right. What changes is the length. Along a row, the stitches alternate: a short one that crosses a single canvas intersection, then a long one that crosses three, then short, then long.

Each long stitch reaches one intersection above and one below the short stitches beside it. When you work the next row, its short stitches drop into the spaces under the long stitches of the row above, and its long stitches fill in beside them. Look along any diagonal of the finished area and you'll find the same rhythm: short, long, short, long.

The stitch has a backstory, which is rare for a needlepoint stitch. According to the Royal School of Needlework's Stitch Bank, Charlotte "Chottie" Alderson worked it out in the early days of the Embroiderers' Guild of America and named it after her close friend and fellow stitcher, Nobuko.

How to work nobuko stitch

Start at the top-left of the area and work the first row left to right:

1. Short stitch. Come up at the bottom-left of a canvas intersection and go down at its top-right, exactly like a tent stitch.
2. Long stitch. Come up in the hole directly below where the short stitch started. Go down three intersections up and to the right. The long stitch now runs alongside the short one, on its right, extending one intersection above it and one below.
3. Repeat. Alternate short and long across the row. Every stitch starts at its bottom-left and finishes at its top-right.
4. Next row, right to left. Drop down two holes and work back across. Place each short stitch beneath a long stitch of the row above, and each long stitch beneath a short one. The stitches share holes with the row above, so there are no gaps to fill later.

Because every stitch is worked bottom-left to top-right, the needle often travels a long way on the back between stitches. That's normal for nobuko, and it means the back carries more thread than the front suggests.

Seeing the rows: two-color nobuko

In a single color, the rows of nobuko blend into a continuous texture. Stitch alternate rows in two colors and the structure shows up clearly. Each row reads as a band of zigzagging short and long stitches, interlocking with the bands above and below.

The two-color version is a design choice in its own right. Two close shades of blue, worked in alternating rows, give water a ripple without any charting. Two whites, one matte and one with a little sheen, make snow that glints. You can also split the stitch by length instead of by row, with the long stitches in one thread and the short ones in another, for a woven effect.

Edges and compensating stitches

Because nobuko's long stitches cross three intersections, they rarely fit an area exactly. Wherever a long stitch would cross the boundary of the area, shorten it to cover only the intersections inside. These shortened stitches are compensating stitches, and they keep the edge clean and the canvas covered.

Work compensating stitches as you reach them, row by row, so they get the same tension as their neighbors. Along a curved edge, like the outline of a hill against a nobuko sky, you'll compensate on almost every row. That's expected, and it's why nobuko works best in large areas where most stitches are full length.

Threads for nobuko

Nobuko is diagonal, so it covers the canvas the way tent stitch does: a thread that covers well in tent on your mesh count will cover in nobuko too. The thread guide has the ply and strand counts per mesh. The long stitches show off a thread's character, so this is a good place for something more interesting than plain wool:

• Overdyed and variegated threads for skies and water. The color changes run along the long stitches and read as movement.
• Perle cotton (#3 on 13 mesh, #5 on 18) for crisp definition. Its twist makes each stitch distinct, which suits textures like fish scales.
• Ribbon and sparkle threads for snow and frost. The long stitches give the ribbon room to lie flat and catch the light.

Lay stranded threads flat as you go. With long diagonal stitches, twisted strands show up much more than they do in tent.

When to use nobuko

Use nobuko for big areas that should feel like they move: sky behind a house, a lake under a boat, a snowy field, an ocean. It's quicker to cover ground with than basketweave and adds texture without drawing the eye away from the subject. The background stitches guide compares it with brick, mosaic, scotch, and the open stitches.

Be more careful with it on pieces that get handled. The long stitches leave a longer float on the surface than tent stitch, so they're more likely to snag on a pillow or a bag. On a framed piece or an ornament that just hangs, that doesn't matter.

Keep it away from small areas. Nobuko needs room for several full rows of long and short stitches to read as nobuko. In a narrow strip, you'll have mostly compensating stitches and the texture disappears.

Common mistakes

Mixing up the long and short positions. If a long stitch lands under a long stitch from the previous row, the two overlap on the canvas while a gap opens next to them. Check the first few stitches of each new row against the row above.

Pulling too tight. All the stitches slant the same way, so tight tension skews the canvas into a parallelogram. Stretcher bars and a light, even pull prevent most of it. Blocking takes care of the rest.

Twisted thread. Long diagonal stitches show every twist. Let the needle hang and untwist every few stitches, or use a laying tool.

Starting rows in the wrong direction. Nobuko rows alternate direction. Starting a row from the wrong side makes the back messy and the tension uneven, and it doesn't change how the front looks — so it's easy to miss until the area starts to pucker.

Further reading

• RSN Stitch Bank: Nobuko stitch — the Royal School of Needlework's diagram and the story behind the name
• Unwind Studio: Nobuko stitch tutorial — step-by-step photos
• Rittenhouse Needlepoint: Stitch of the week, nobuko — a numbered diagram and thread ideas for snow, sky, and fish scales
• American Needlepoint Guild — classes and courses on decorative stitches