Hedgehog with an Alphabet Block Cross Stitch Pattern

About this hedgehog cross stitch pattern

A chubby hedgehog stands on its back feet with a peach tummy, pink cheeks and a happy closed-mouth smile, wearing a little crown of green leaves and cream flowers on its head. It holds a wooden alphabet block up beside its face with both paws, and the block’s front shows a bold blue letter A inside a framed panel. Its spines are drawn as fine brown strands fanning out behind it.

The letter A makes it a natural first piece for a nursery or a baby named with A, and it fits next to other alphabet designs. The Owl on a Monogram Letter M is another animal with a letter; the Hedgehog in a Knit Sweater is a bigger hedgehog. Our nursery round-up has more ideas for a baby’s room.

What you need

• Fabric: 14-count Aida in white, cut to at least 12“ x 12“ (3“ around the design for hooping and framing).
• Thread: 22 DMC colors, about 22 skeins in total, stitched with two strands. The main colors are 3772 Desert Sand – Very Dark (1,394 stitches), 3856 Mahogany – Ultra Very Light (995) and 632 Desert Sand – Ultra Very Dark (672).
• Needle: a size 24 tapestry needle.
• Stitches: full cross stitches only, with no backstitch.

Difficulty and stitching time

It’s rated Intermediate because of the spines: they are drawn as thin lines of two or three browns side by side, which takes careful counting. At 5,113 stitches it takes roughly 51 to 85 hours at a steady 60 to 100 stitches an hour; only 23% of the fabric stays bare.

Tips for stitching this pattern

• Stitch the spines in columns. 3772 Desert Sand – Very Dark (1,394 stitches) and 632 Desert Sand – Ultra Very Dark (672) alternate in the spines. Working each strand from the body outward keeps the lines straight.
• Fill the tummy and face next. 3856 Mahogany – Ultra Very Light (995 stitches) is the peach tummy and face. It’s a large, calm area that’s easy to stitch between spine sessions.
• Do the letter A as one shape. 3809 Turquoise – Very Dark (207 stitches) makes the letter. Stitch it before the wooden block around it, so the letter’s edges stay sharp.

Size, fabric and framing

On 14-count Aida the finished design measures 5.8“ x 5.9“ (14.7 x 15.0 cm). On 16-count it comes out at 5.1“ x 5.1“, and on 18-count at 4.5“ x 4.6“. An 8“ x 10“ frame leaves room for a mat.

Add the baby’s name and birth date under the block for a personal birth sampler.

What’s in the free PDF

• A cover page and a one-page overview with a preview of the design
• The chart, split across as many printable pages as you choose, in color or black and white, with a symbol for every DMC color, center lines, a mini-map showing which part of the design each page covers and a color key on every page
• The thread list: DMC number, color name, number of stitches and skeins to buy for each color
• The finished size on 11-, 14-, 16-, 18- and 28-count Aida