"There is an easy, neat way of starting a piece of floss if you need to use 2 strands called the loop method. However, there is a drawback to it. Be sure you can count accurately before you use it! It makes a secure starting point but one that is difficult to undo. I always suggest to a new student that they leave the loose ends free for a while until they are sure their stitches have been placed in the correct position. If they make a mistake, and the error is near the beginning of the piece of floss, as my mistakes usually are, it may be easier to unpick a few stitches from the start rather than taking the yarn all the way back from the current position.

OK how do we tackle this loop method. Well start by stripping one strand from the six stranded cotton. Cut it twice the length you would normally use to stitch with. I find around 28-30" is a good length. Take both ends and place them together, so that the length is folded in half. Thread these through your needle leaving a loop at the other end. Push the needle through the fabric from the back leaving the loop hanging loose. Take the needle to the back of the fabric and pass it though the loop before pulling tight. There you are, a neat, secure starting point. The photo shows the back of the work.

The second method of starting is again to cut a length of embroidery floss twice the normal length you would sew with. Do not fold it in half this time, however.

Pick your starting point and pull only half through the fabric. Leave the other half for later. I find it helps to pop this end into a spare needle and bring it through the fabric at the edge of the work and "park" it there for the time being. This keeps it out of the way so it doesn't get tangled on the back.

With your first needle, work your stitches until you run out of cotton. Then return to the other needle and continue stitching. This method reduces the number of fastening offs you need to do, which in turn keeps the reverse of the work neater.

Starting with a waste Knot
On occasions it is OK to start with a knot. After knotting the end, push the needle through the fabric from the FRONT of the work, leaving the knot sitting on the surface a few inches away in the direction that you will be stitching. Bring the needle back through to the front in the correct position to start stitching and work over the first few stitches over the end of the thread. After a few stitches you will be able to snip off the knot, leaving the end neatly secured.
Starting with an away waste knot
Similar to the method above, for an away waste knot you bring the needle to the front of the work away from the direction of stitching. When the knot is later cut off you will need to thread the needle with this end, and fasten it into the back of the stitches. This technique is often used in hardanger or pulled work where you don't want to run the risk of the end showing underneath open areas of the design.

Fastening off
The neatest way of fastening off is to weave the loose end under half a dozen stitches on the back of the work and then cut it off close to the stitching. "