Smyrna cross stitch - also called double cross stitch or leviathan stitch - is a full cross stitch with a second, upright cross stitched directly on top of it, producing an eight-pointed, star-like or asterisk shape. It's one of my favorite tricks for making a plain border feel special without adding a new color. It sits noticeably higher off the fabric than a plain cross stitch, giving it a raised, textured look that reads as a deliberate accent rather than fill.
How to work it
A full cross stitch first (faint, step 1) - then an upright cross on top: up at 2, down at 3, up at 4, down at 5.
- Work a complete full cross stitch as normal (diagonal corner to corner, both directions).
- Bring the needle up at the center of the left edge of the same square.
- Insert the needle down at the center of the right edge, forming a horizontal stitch across the middle of the X.
- Bring the needle up at the center of the top edge.
- Insert the needle down at the center of the bottom edge, forming a vertical stitch that completes the star.
The order of the upright cross relative to the diagonal one is a matter of preference - some stitchers work the upright cross first and the diagonal on top, which gives a slightly different texture. Either is correct as long as it's consistent across a piece.
Where it's used
Because it uses roughly twice the thread of a plain cross stitch and produces a visibly raised texture, Smyrna stitch is almost never used to fill a whole design - it's a border stitch, a corner accent, or scattered sparingly as a decorative highlight. It has deep roots in Berlin woolwork (see Berlin woolwork), where raised, textured stitches were prized for their tactile, opulent effect on wool canvas work.
A tip on tension
Keep the upright cross slightly looser than the diagonal cross underneath it - I learned this by pulling both equally tight on an early piece and ending up with a flat, distorted square instead of the raised star I wanted.
What it's used for
Textured accents, borders, and focal points - a single Smyrna stitch reads as a small raised star and stands out clearly against surrounding plain full cross stitch.