Do Kitchener Stitch or Grafting

Have you ever worn a sweater, or worse yet, a pair of socks with a seam that rubs and irritates? Using a simple knitting method called grafting or Kitchener Stitch, you can fix this problem and have seams that are invisible and comfortable. Simply put, by using a blunt tapestry needle and matching yarn, you can make stitches which imitate those of the knitted fabric. The Kitchener stitch can also be used to attach parallel rows of live stitches to one another.

Steps

Grafting Stockinette Stitch

  1. Begin with the stitches to be joined on two needles held parallel to one another with the stitches to be joined across from one another. There must be the same number of stitches on both needles. Do not cast off.
  2. Thread a length of matching yarn on a tapestry needle; you will be mimicking the path of a new row of stitches with it. You can join while the stitches are still on the needle by withdrawing the needles stitch by stitch as you work. (If you prefer, dampen the stitches slightly or run a thread through the stitches to prevent unraveling and remove both needles before starting to graft.)
  3. Attach the yarn at the right hand edge of the upper piece.
  4. Graft the first two stitches like so:
    1. Insert the tapestry needle purl wise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle.
    2. Insert the tapestry needle knit wise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle.
  5. Graft all stitches before the last two stitches in this manner:
    1. Insert the tapestry needle knit wise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle.
    2. Insert the tapestry needle purl wise into the next stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle.
    3. Insert the tapestry needle purl wise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle.
    4. Insert the tapestry needle knit wise into the next stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle.
  6. Graft the last two stitches like so:
    1. Insert the tapestry needle knit wise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle.
    2. Insert the tapestry needle purl wise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle.
  7. Pull the yarn tight, cut it off to a short amount, and weave in yarn on the inside of the work. You should have a seamless edge that mimics the stockinette knitting. Voila!

Grafting Garter Stitch

  1. Place the two pieces so the knit V row is on the top and the purl bump row on the bottom.
  2. Attach the yarn at the right hand edge of the upper piece.
  3. Put the needle down through the first stitch on the lower piece and bring it up through the next stitch. Draw up the yarn.
  4. Bring the needle up through the first stitch on the upper piece and put it down through the next stitch.
  5. Repeat these steps until all the stitches are joined.
  6. Pull the yarn tight, cut it off to a short amount, and weave in yarn on the inside of the work.



Tips

  • In all cases, be careful not to draw up the yarn too tightly. You want to keep the tension of the knitted piece even.
  • Be sure to line up the two pieces before you begin, otherwise you will have left-over stitches.
  • The needle's path is up-down on the upper piece, and down-up on the lower piece. The needle is inserted knit-wise. Up means purl-wise. You are purling the upper row of stitches and knitting the lower row.
  • Joining ribbing is similar, go down-up for knitted stitches and up-down for purl stitches.

Things You'll Need

  • Blunt tapestry needle
  • two knitted pieces to be joined
  • matching yarn

Related Articles

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Do_Kitchener_Stitch_or_Grafting&oldid=354257"