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Double Running Stitch

The Double Running stitch is sometimes called the Holbein stitch. It is worked in two journeys. On the first journey, work every other stitch. On the second journey, work the skipped stitches. If there are side motifs off the main design line, work them in the same manner on the first journey. For example, the following shows a section of one branch of a typical design:

Remember that each square on the chart corresponds to two threads of your linen. The first journey would be worked as follows:

Begin with Stitch 1. We immediately have a side motif going up from the main design line. We skip a stitch and place Stitch 2. Skip a stitch and we’re at the end of the side motif, so we fill in the skipped stitches (3 and 4 on the return journey). Now we’re back on the main design line. We skip one stitch and place the next one (Stitch 5). Treat the next side motif the same way the first one was treated. Continue on the main design line with Stitch 9.

The second journey fills in the skipped stitches:

For more information about the Double Running stitch, we suggest that you visit the Blackwork Embroidery Archives.

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