Never start with a knot. Some stitches, for example, the Chain stitch, the Buttonhole Stitch, the Feather Stitch, call for a special method of starting a new thread. The last stitch made with the old thread is not drawn tight until the newly fastened thread is taken upwards into the loop and completed. In this craft there are many types of stitches and many books and patterns to help one create their masterpiece.