Waste knots and away knots sound as though they break the usual rule against knots in counted cross stitch, but the knot is only temporary. It holds the thread while you begin, then it is cut away and the remaining tail is secured normally on the back. The difference between the two methods is mainly where that temporary knot is placed and how the thread between the knot and the first stitch will eventually be anchored.
What a waste knot does
A waste knot is placed on the front of the fabric a short distance ahead of the area you are about to stitch. The thread travels from that knot to the back, then into your first cross. As you work toward the knot, later stitches cross over the thread on the back and trap it.
Once enough stitches have secured that buried section, cut the knot from the front and trim or weave any small remaining tail. The knot has done its job and is literally discarded, which explains the name.
How an away knot is different
An away knot is usually placed farther from the starting point, often in a location where the thread path will not automatically be covered by the first few stitches. It simply gives you tension and control while you begin. Later, after more stitching exists, you cut the knot and weave the long tail under completed stitches on the back.
This makes away knots useful for isolated motifs, confetti or areas where there is no convenient row of stitches directly between the knot and the start. You deliberately leave enough tail to finish it later.
Place temporary knots on the front, not hidden on the back
Keeping the knot on the front makes it easy to find and remove. If you hide a temporary knot on the back, it can disappear under later stitches and become a permanent lump by accident. On the front, it remains visible as a reminder that the tail still needs attention.
Place it outside the immediate working square so it does not interfere with the needle. Avoid putting it through a delicate completed area or over beads. A blank section that will eventually be stitched is convenient.
Leave enough distance for a secure tail
A knot only one centimeter away may not leave enough thread to handle after cutting. Give yourself several inches when using an away knot so the tail can be threaded onto a needle and passed under multiple stitches later. A waste knot can sit closer because the thread is usually secured automatically beneath the stitches you are making.
At the same time, an excessively long temporary tail can snag. Choose a practical distance and keep loose thread controlled while you work.
When waste and away knots are especially useful
They are helpful when you cannot use a standard loop start, such as with certain odd strand counts, blended threads or specialty fibers. They also solve the problem of beginning in an empty area where there are no existing stitches to weave under.
An away knot can be useful on linen or evenweave when you want to avoid concentrating a bulky anchor in one tiny stitch. It spreads the management of the tail over a later, more stable section of the work.
Remove the knot before it becomes buried
Do not wait until the entire project is complete if the temporary knot is about to be covered by new stitching. Once enough secure stitches exist, cut the knot and finish the tail. This keeps the front clear and prevents you from forgetting where the anchor is.
Waste and away knots are not permanent knotting methods. They are temporary handles that let you begin cleanly when another anchor is inconvenient. Used deliberately, they leave the same flat, secure finish as a normal buried tail without requiring an existing block of stitches at the moment you start.
Waste knots are particularly convenient when stitching a row or compact block because you can place the knot in the direction you are already travelling. As the row grows, the back of those stitches captures the starting tail automatically. Before cutting, check that at least several stitches cross the tail and that none of them have been pulled unusually tight around it.
For an away knot, choose the parking location deliberately. It should be far enough away to leave a useful finishing tail but not inside a part of the design where the visible knot will interfere with your working hand. If several colors use temporary knots at once, keep them separated so you can identify which tail belongs to which floss color.