Aida is made up of tiny squares. Pick a square of Aida near the center of the hoop. Look closely at the square and locate the lower left corner. Place your needle behind the fabric. Insert the needle in the hole.
Flip the hoop over and look at the back of the fabric if you have difficulty placing the needle without looking at it. As you become more experienced with stitching a cross stitch, you will be able to do this without thinking about it.
Check to see that the needle is inserted directly in the space in the corner of the Aida square. It should not pierce any threads or go between any of the threads that are grouped in the square.
When you are sure that you have the needle inserted correctly, bring your right hand to the front of the hoop. The needle should be large enough to perch in the fabric, but if it starts to fall out, support the needle with the ring finger of your left hand.
Grasp the needle and draw the floss up through the hole as demonstrated. Do not pull the floss all the way through! Leave a "tail" of about two inches on the back of the fabric. If you have difficulty with this step, use a waste knot.
