kitchener stitch

1. kitchener stitch How to sew together knitted fabric with no seam line

2. Why learn Kitchener Stitch? • Kitchener stitch creates a join that is difficult to see or feel. • It’s most appropriate in areas where a seam would be mildly or very uncomfortable. • Underarm of a sweater worn next to the skin • Toe or heal seam of a sock • Under-alls and baby clothes

3. Why is it so difficult? • Kitchener stitch isn’t difficult at all…what can be difficult is: • Learning the stitch from written instructions • Remembering the preparation steps

4. You’ve finished your first sock … … and now you’re left with a hole at the toe. In the image below, the stitches that remain after decrease are turquoise.

5. Active vs. Finished stitches In this tutorial, “active” unfinished stitches will be in bright colors, and stitches that are finished will be dark. Here, black shows stitches that are finished.

6. How did those black stitches get on the needles? If you were to kitchener stitch the active stitches only, when you were finished you’d still have a little slit in the sock …the pink line shown here.

7. Pick up stitches Holes in the toes can be as annoying as a seam, so pick up a completed stitch at both ends of both needles.

8. Getting the Yarn to Kitchener Adding new yarn at the toe, even if it is just woven in can be uncomfortable after a day of wear. Instead leave a long tail of yarn. The tail is red and is now on a darning needle.

9. Position the yarn The yarn tail is now in an inconvenient position. It begins on the last active stitch and crosses over the top of the finished stitches you just picked up.

10. Correct Position to Start Using the darning needle, pull the tail through the first finished stitch on the back needle.

11. Setup 1 You can now begin the setup for kitchener. Pull the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl. Leave the stitch on the needle.

12. Setup 2 Now pull the yarn through the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit. Leave the stitch on the needle.

13. Kitchener 1 Go back to the front needle and pull the yarn through as if to knit.

14. Kitchener 2 You can now slip the first stitch on the front needle off the needle and immediately set up the first front active stitch by pulling the tail through it “as if to purl”.

15. Kitchener 3 You then move to the back needle, run the tail through the first stitch as if to purl, slip off, set up the next back stitch by pulling the yarn as if to knit, move back to the front needle.

16. Kitchener 4 By continuing this pattern from right to left you will end up at the left end of the toe with what looks and feels like a row of stockinette stitch.

17. Kitchener Pattern • 01, 01, 01, 01 – off on, off on, off on, off on • No matter which needle you are working on, each stitch combo is removing a stitch and setting up the next and leaving it on. • The front needle is alphabetical • Knit off • Purl on • The back needle mirrors • Purl off • Knit on