From photo to pattern
Hoop shrinks your photo to one square per stitch, matches every square to the closest of 489 DMC colours, then keeps only the number of colours you ask for. Lone stitches are swapped for the colour around them, so you don't start a thread for a single cross.
The chart prints on A4 or Letter with a symbol and colour in every square and a bold line every ten stitches, so counting is easy. The first page has the floss key with skeins.
Questions
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Free, no account, no watermark. The pattern is made in your browser and your photo is never uploaded.
What makes a photo work well?
One clear subject, good light and strong contrast. Crop close before you start. Pets, flowers, birds and simple drawings come out best. Busy backgrounds turn into noise, so try Leave the background bare.
What is confetti and why clean it up?
Confetti is a single stitch of one colour surrounded by others. It looks like detail on screen but means starting and ending a thread for one cross. Hoop swaps each lone stitch for the colour around it, so the pattern is calmer to stitch.
How many colours should I pick?
Between 10 and 16 suits most photos. Fewer colours make a bolder, more graphic pattern and fewer skeins. Portraits with soft skin tones need 20 or more.
How is the skein count worked out?
From the number of stitches in each colour, the fabric count and two strands, with half again added for starting, ending and travelling on the back. A DMC skein is 8 metres of six strands. Buy one spare of any colour you use a lot.
Which fabric should I buy?
14-count aida is the usual start: easy to see and count. 16 and 18 make a smaller, finer piece from the same pattern. Cut your fabric 3 inches (7.5 cm) bigger than the design on every side.
More from Hoop
Want a PDF you can open in Pattern Keeper?
Page-split PDFs with symbols, and floss in Anchor and Madeira, are next. Leave your email and we'll tell you when they're ready.