Over the time, especially after well used, needles will discolor and mark hands and fabric so do not leave the needle in your fabric. There are different qualities of nickel plating. It is considered that gold needles are the best as they will not discolor. However they are more expensive than nickel needles.

Different sizes below for aida and evenweave fabrics:

If you are not sure what size of needle to choose for your fabric here is a tip. The needle should be small enough to pass through the fabric easily but it should require a little pressure to push it through.

If you are stitching with French knots, use an embroidery needle. This is a sharp thin needle that will assist with securing the knots into the weave of the fabric. The embroidery needle also has a smaller eye than the tapestry needle.

I hope you found this information useful when choosing needles for your cross stitch projects.