Muted rainbow punch needle pattern
Make a 160 mm muted rainbow. Work from its green inner arch through the gold and rose bands, then fill the background.
Make this pattern
160 × 160 mm · 4 colours · Looped front
Select an area to change its colour or loop height. Choose a swatch above to change its matching areas.
Adjust loop heights
Keep the background low and lift the parts you want to stand out. The making guide and yarn list update to match your choices.
Prepare your materials
Choose a needle, fibre and foundation that fit each other. Thread your exact tool and make a practice line and filled swatch in spare cloth: insert to the working stop, lift the tip to the cloth surface, then slide to the next insertion. Keep the fibre feeding freely. Leave enough foundation around the design for mounting and your chosen finish. Make small filled samples at 3.2 / 4.8 / 6.4 mm using the corresponding needle heights. Use the same yarn family and foundation for each level.
Fibre feeds freely, the cloth stays taut and the loops remain in place. Use the swatch to settle your fill spacing.
Show the needle movement
Side view · line = foundation · loop = displayed front. Keep the opening facing your direction of travel.
What you need for this pattern
Choose a ready-made material setup. Yarn quantities update for every colour.
Fine wool keeps small motifs and colour details clear.
Raised areas add about 15.5 m · +36% yarn compared with the entire design at 3.2 mm. The cloth size stays 285 × 285 mm.
Yarn by colour
| Colour | Kit portion | Whole skeins |
|---|---|---|
| A · Cream Low · 3.2 mm | 20 m ≈ 19 g | 1 |
| B · Rose Raised · 6.4 mm | 24 m ≈ 22 g | 1 |
| C · Gold Middle · 4.8 mm | 12 m ≈ 12 g | 1 |
| D · Green Low · 3.2 mm | 4 m ≈ 4 g | 1 |
Whole skeins: 4 in total when buying colours separately, at 119.8 m / 113 g per skein. The kit portion is smaller than a whole skein.
Tools, cloth and finishing
- 1 Oxford #14 fine punch needle; 1 Oxford #10 fine punch needle; 1 Oxford #13 fine punch needle · 3.2 / 4.8 / 6.4 mm nominal loops
- 1 locking embroidery hoop or gripping frame · clear opening at least 175 mm across; hold the cloth drum-tight
- 1 piece of rug-punching monk’s cloth · 285 × 285 mm; 12–14 holes per inch. For a larger holder, allow 50 mm beyond its outside edge on every side
- 1 spare 100 × 100 mm piece of the same foundation for practice at 3.2 / 4.8 / 6.4 mm
- Small sharp scissors, a blunt tapestry needle and strong sewing thread
- Fabric transfer pen or pencil, full-size mirrored template and a ruler
- 1 display hoop with a clear opening at least 175 mm; the working hoop can be reused if it grips well
- Optional felt backing, cut after mounting to fit the inner hoop
How the yarn estimate works
200.2 cm² of filled design, split by colour, with 15% extra for tails and reworking. Raised loops use more yarn. Each part’s portion accounts for its loop height. Portions that use the same yarn shade are combined before rounding the kit quantity and whole skeins up.
Oxford’s #14 fine worsted-yarn coverage benchmark: about 1.3 yards per square inch at 3.2 mm nominal loops. Check all planned heights in the spare swatch, and choose physical yarn shades with a colour card.
Oxford coverage and material guidance · Yarn skein specifications
Keep your pattern and guide
Full-size mirrored transfer, 50 mm ruler, colour key and 8 illustrated steps for your selected finish.
Read all 8 making steps
Prepare your materials
Choose a needle, fibre and foundation that fit each other. Thread your exact tool and make a practice line and filled swatch in spare cloth: insert to the working stop, lift the tip to the cloth surface, then slide to the next insertion. Keep the fibre feeding freely. Leave enough foundation around the design for mounting and your chosen finish. Make small filled samples at 3.2 / 4.8 / 6.4 mm using the corresponding needle heights. Use the same yarn family and foundation for each level.
Check: Fibre feeds freely, the cloth stays taut and the loops remain in place. Use the swatch to settle your fill spacing.
Transfer and mount
Print the 160 × 160 mm template at actual size and check its 50 mm ruler. Trace the mirrored working back so the loops display the design in the correct direction. Mark the colour boundaries, then mount the cloth with its warp and weft square. Mark each colour’s loop height on the working copy. All levels are punched into the same foundation.
Check: Compare with the finished front before tracing, especially asymmetric motifs. Keep the foundation firm under the needle.
Fill the inner arch
D · Green
D · Green: low, 3.2 mm loops with Oxford #14 fine. Follow the green inner arch, keeping the opening below it clear. Use short movements around the top curve. Insert fully to this tool’s working stop; change the needle height between levels rather than partly inserting a fixed-height needle.
Check: The inner arch has two clear ends and its middle opening stays cream. Check the height transition from the front and separate loops that spill into the neighbouring level.
Fill the middle arch
C · Gold
C · Gold: middle, 4.8 mm loops with Oxford #13 fine. Outline the gold band beside the green arch, then fill inside its two boundaries. Insert fully to this tool’s working stop; change the needle height between levels rather than partly inserting a fixed-height needle.
Check: Keep the green and gold bands separate along the full curve. Check the height transition from the front and separate loops that spill into the neighbouring level.
Fill the outer arch
B · Rose
B · Rose: raised, 6.4 mm loops with Oxford #10 fine. Work the rose outer band, following the curve and keeping the two lower ends inside their boundary. Insert fully to this tool’s working stop; change the needle height between levels rather than partly inserting a fixed-height needle.
Check: All three bands remain visible with consistent coverage. Check the height transition from the front and separate loops that spill into the neighbouring level.
Fill the background
A · Cream
A · Cream: low, 3.2 mm loops with Oxford #14 fine. Outline the outside edge and the spaces around the motif, then fill the background in rows or contours. Leave the surrounding foundation unpunched. Insert fully to this tool’s working stop; change the needle height between levels rather than partly inserting a fixed-height needle.
Check: Look at the front. Cover gaps without crowding the motif or making the fabric bulge. Check the height transition from the front and separate loops that spill into the neighbouring level.
Check the finished surface
Turn the work over and inspect each colour boundary. Separate displaced loops gently with a blunt tool and correct gaps or crowded patches before removing the piece from its working frame. Compare the low, middle and raised areas with the height plan. Ease loops away from the height transitions without cutting their tops.
Check: Each colour area is covered without fabric bulging. Small marks remain visible and the unpunched foundation margin is intact.
Finish your display hoop
Handle each loose tail gently and trim that tail level with the surrounding pile, keeping the loop tops intact. After punching, leave about 25 mm of foundation beyond the display hoop, gather it towards the back and sew on a felt circle if wanted. Keep the larger mounting margin until punching is complete. Trim each loose tail to its own area’s height, preserving the stepped surface. Support the work so the 6.4 mm raised loops stay clear of the backing or frame.
Check: The fabric is secure, the loops are free of pressure and the hanging fitting is attached to the hoop or frame.