I'm pretty much a home improvement jack-of-all-trades, and for years I've
been applying one thin coat of stain, wiping it off right away and going,
that's too light. Crap. But this last time, I had to match a dark cherry
shade with Minwax stain. So I used the following method:
Apply the sealer (on pine)
Apply a coat of stain without wiping it off and allow about 10 minutes,
then feather it lightly to remove streaks before it sets with a brush.
Apply another coat and do the same thing.
And another, as many as it takes to get to the shade you want, as long
as you feather it out with a bristle brush just before it sets.
Wait at least 2 days before varnishing, the longer the better, and I guarantee
there will be no stain bleeding off into your brush, and you'll be able to
stand back and admire a job well done.