Known as punto de cordao in Portuguese, or cord stitch. It is an apt name, for indeed, cord (or rope) is how it looks.  This is the technique used when embroidering fine embroideries, such as whitework. It creates a perfect back stitch on the reverse side and was used by Chikan embroiderers on the wrong side of the work to create a perfect back stitch on the front of the work. Stem stitch done in this manner can also be used for seaming in hand sewing rather than the more tedious, European tradition of back stitch.

If every time you do a stem (outline) stitch, you pick up 4 ground threads, then your first stitch must be over 8 threads. Come back halfway (4 threads), pull the thread through.

Now, pick up the next 4 stitches (2mm), coming up in the same hole where the last stitch was made as shown.

The number of ground threads picked up will depend upon the density of the ground and the size of the thread and design element.

Always come up in the same hole from the previous stitch. To keep nice curved shapes, shorten the stitch length. That may mean going over as few as 2 threads of the ground. As you get to the end of a line of stitching, shorten and/or lengthen slightly your last few stitches to fit the space.