Good question! Now without wanting to upset anybody, it's 'hopefully' fair to say that cross stitch is a member of the same craft family as embroidery and needlepoint. I trust this won't upset too many handcrafters. Although, diehards from each type of craft think that their own craft is superior and they just don't like being compared to the others.

In its simplest form Cross Stitch is mainly stitching with planned x's like this xxx or angles like this ///// or lines like this ----- with loops and controlled knots. The beauty of the cross stitch craft is by stitching the stitches correctly you can create some of the most beautiful gifts ever given to anyone.

OK. Now let's move on to some Cross Stitch basics:

Cross-Stitch is such a popular craft world-wide that you often find the more skillful crafters no longer use a kit for their projects; they create their own. But, before you can go out on your own and start creating your own art, you will need to know much more about the materials and tools, such as: threads, frames, needles and fabrics. That's why most Cross stitchers begin their first project with a kit.

Also, when you buy patterns or kits, you may decide to use different fabrics and threads than that recommended by the kit's designer. The following description will
help you to understand and adapt the patterns and materials for your own needs.

Cross-Stitch Fabrics

Counted cross-stitch can be stitched on just about any material that will allow you to stitch consistent, even sized stitches. I have even seen people iron-on a pattern together with an iron-on grid to ensure their stitches remain constant throughout the project.

Aida Fabric

In the early days most stitchers will stick with Aida fabric for their projects. When you look closely at the fabric, you will see that the woven threads are grouped and separated by tiny holes and spaces. This makes a pattern of squares so that even a beginner will be able to see exactly where their cross-stitches need to be placed.

You can buy Aida fabric in 6, 8, 11, 14 - right through to 32 count threads. But 14 count is the most often used thread count for the beginner. Aida fabric comes in a wide range of colors and threads counts. A particularly useful feature for the newbie stitcher is this material has a removable grid of pre-basted threads, which is helpful when preparing to cut out the fabric in straight lines.

Linen

Linen is considered to be an excellent fabric to work with by the more experienced cross-stitchers, and not least because of its very reasonable price. The cross stitched threads, used to weave the linen, cause a slightly irregular thickness to work on. When buying linen do remember that most designs are stitched over two threads so, 28-count linen will work out a 14 stitches per square inch. Linen is made in counts of 14 to 40 count so at 14 you would have 7 stitches per square inch and at 40 you would have 20 stitches per square inch.

Sweaters

A sweater provides an excellent background for cross-stitch. Just by ironing a grid onto the sweater you will be able to have the even consistent stitches you want. A word of caution here: don't try cross-stitching directly onto a knitted article without first attaching a grid because knitted stitches are rarely square. They tend to be rectangular, which means the finished design will be wider and shorter than the pattern you're working from.

Burlap

Burlap can be counted and stitched as easily as any other traditional cross-stitch fabric. And if you are working a country style pattern it will give you that little extra quality we all look for in the work we do.

Evenweave Fabric

Over the years the increase in popularity of cross-stitching has created a need for specialty fabrics. These fabrics are collectively called evenweave because they are woven from threads of a consistent diameter. Evenweave fabrics are counted by so many threads per inch and generally are worked in the same manner as linen fabrics.

Hardanger Fabric

Modern Hardanger fabric is an evenweave cotton material woven with pairs of threads, usually 22 pairs per standard inch in both directions and generally known as "22-count". The Hardanger fabric weave gives a squared appearance to the cloth (similar to Aida cloth), with distinct holes, making it easy to count and straightforward to work upon.

Other evenweave fabrics suitable for Hardanger cross point include: pure linen, cotton or mixed fibre fabrics, but the downside is these fabrics rarely show the clearly defined block appearance. Also these can vary in count from 18-26 per inch or higher.

Threads (Floss) for Cross-Stitching

The normal thread used for cross stitching is stranded cotton (floss). It is generally made of 100% cotton and normally comes in skeins (silks) 8m in length, with each skein or silk  comprising 6 strands (hence stranded cotton).

Stranded Cotton is available in hundreds of different colors, and even in variegated shades on the same skein. When a pattern refers to 1 strand of thread they mean one of the 6 strands from the skein, 2 means 2 of the 6 etc.

Most embroidery threads are equally suitable for cross-stitching; you simply separate the threads into singles, pairs, threes, fours, and so on. The more threads you use the richer the work will look. Rayon or silk threads will give your work a shine or slick look but sometimes they can be frustrating to use given their fondness for tangling. Pearl cotton gives a high sheen and is less prone to tangling.

Flower Thread and Other Specialty Threads

Flower thread is 100% cotton with a matte finish and is used as a single thread (same as two ply). New over-dyed threads are introduced on the market almost everyday. Most of  them give that one-of-a-kind appearance because of their irregularly variegated colors; most of the popular threads are available in this form. Their big advantage is they save time and effort when you want to change colors without having to change threads.

Yarn and Ribbon

When working with the large projects you can use ribbon, yarn, and even strips of fabric to give your work your own personal touch. The larger the squares the larger the ply of thread you should use.

Needles

Generally blunt pointed needles are better for working on most cross-stitch fabrics because they slip through the holes and threads without snagging and splitting the fibers. An exception to this rule is when working with canvas you will need to use the sharp embroidery type needles.

Be aware that a lot of companies sell the blunt needles labeled "Cross-stitch" but these are identical (and often more expensive) to the tapestry needles that have a much larger selection from which to choose.

Your First Pattern

When considering your first pattern, be kind to yourself and choose a simple pattern. Better still, buy yourself a small kit related to a favorite subject or hobby. You can liken this to using stabilizers (training wheels) on your first bike... it will give you both added confidence and security. Your first kit should be complete with needle(s), floss (threads), fabric and anything else you need to complete your first project.

Be patient and go slowly; persevere with your first project. You'll be so glad you did and so pleased and proud when you reach the end.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of stitching.