Seaming - Kitchener Stitch

This technique is used to join live stitches, creating a seamless join. You may also see this stitch referred to as “grafting”. Don’t pull too tightly on the sewing yarn as you go along. Leave yourself some slack and you can go back and even things out once you have joined all of the stitches. Keep the sewing yarn under the needle tips as you go so you don’t confuse it with the stitches on the needles. Instructions are illustrated on stockinette stitch fabric with slight modifications listed below for garter stitch fabric.

STEP BY STEP

Hold the two pieces of knitting parallel to one another with the wrong sides facing. Thread the working yarn with a yarn needle. Note: If the working yarn is not hanging near the needle tips you can use a separate length of coordinating yarn.

*Insert the yarn needle knitwise into the first stitch on the front knitting needle.

Draw through the stitch and slip the stitch off of the front needle.

Insert the yarn needle purlwise into the next stitch on the front knitting needle. Draw through the stitch. Leave the stitch on the needle.

Insert the yarn needle purlwise into the first stitch on the back knitting needle.

Draw through the stitch and slip the stitch off of the back needle.

Insert the yarn needle knitwise into the next stitch on the back knitting needle. Draw through the stitch. Leave the stitch on the needle.

Repeat these steps beginning at the * until all of your stitches have been grafted together. Even out the sewing and weave in the ends.

Garter stitch grafting is performed in a similar fashion. You will begin in the same manner as stockinette by inserting the sewing needle knitwise into the first stich, slipping it off of the front needle and then inserting the sewing needle purlwise into the next stitch (shown in photos 1-4). You will then repeat these steps exactly on the back needle. Continue to repeat these steps, alternating between the front and back knitting needle until all stitches are joined. Even out the sewing and weave in the ends.