[NFB-Blind-Crafters] Sewing knit pieces together

[carcione at access.net]

Dixie's description of how the Kitchener stitch looks is right, of course.
It makes a seamless join.  But it does require live stitches on both sides,
and that doesn't happen all the time.  It's good for closing up something
knitted in the round, like socks or mittens.

And I used it once to close up a hat that has an oblong shape with a seam
down the middle on top.  The seam was Kitchener, and does actually show.

Tracy

 

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of Sonya Coulombe via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 9:22 AM
To: List for Blind Crafters and Artists <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sonya Coulombe <sonya.coulombe at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Sewing knit pieces together

 

Hi Tracy,

 

Thank you very much. I'll keep that info for sure. :)

 

I really wish I didn't miss that meeting. 

 

I heard about the Kitchener stitch. Is it another name for one of those or
is it something else?

 

Thanks again,

 

Sonya

 

  _____  

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org
<mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > on behalf of Tracy Carcione
via NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org
<mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> >
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 8:48:26 AM
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<mailto:carcione at access.net> >
Subject: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Sewing knit pieces together 

 

At our knit-along Saturday, we talked about how to sew pieces together,
among other things.  

I know 2 ways to do this, the whip stitch and the mattress stitch.  I
usually use the matress stitch, but many people use the whip stitch, which
is simpler.

Please correct my whip stitch instructions, if necessary.

 

Do all the other finishing first, like weaving in ends.  You can block
either before or after, whichever you feel is best for your garment.

 

When I say needle in these instructions, I mean a blunt, big-eye darning
needle.

For both, thread a long piece of yarn onto your darning needle.

Pin the 2 pieces together with locking stitch markers that you will remove
as you come to them.

 

Whip stitch:

This creates a seam with one strong ridge.

Put the 2 pieces together, wrong side out.  

Put the needle through both pieces at the corner of the seam.  Pull the yarn
through, leaving enough tail so it doesn't pull out.

Bring the needle back over the top of your seam and put it back through the
2 pieces, in the stitch next to the one where you started.  Pull the yarn
through and snug it up. 

You always put the needle through the 2 pieces going in the same direction.

Repeat until the whole seam is sewn up.  Keep your stitches close together
so the seam doesn't have any gaps in it.

When you're done, weave in the ends of the yarn you used to sew with.

 

Mattress stitch:

This creates a seam with 2 ridges.

Lay the pieces out with the right side up.  In stockinette, that's usually
the smooth side.  Lay them with the edges you want to sew touching each
other.

"Pin" them together at the corner and some places in between, so that they
line up and lie flat.  I used openable stitch markers to do the pinning.

I want to work horizontally, so I have one piece close to me, and the other
farther away.  For explaining purposes, I'll call them near and far.

Thread your yarn needle with a piece of yarn about 3 times the length of the
sewing you need to do.

Put the needle in from the bottom of the beginning corner of the far piece
and pull the yarn through, remembering to leave a good tail to weave in
later.

Put the needle up from the bottom of the near corner and pull the yarn
through.  Pull the corners together, but not real snug yet.

** Put the needle from the top down into the same place on the far piece
where you came up last time (in the far corner, if you're just starting.)

Angle the needle to come up through the next stitch on the far piece, and
pull the yarn through.

Put the needle from the top down into the stitch where you came up last time
on the near piece.

Angle the needle to come up in the next stitch, and pull the yarn through.  

Snug the pieces together, and pull your tail to snug the corners.

Repeat from **.

If your fabric stops lining up, move 2 stitches on the rumpling side, or, if
you've been moving 2 stitches, move one to get things lined back up.  This
is why you pinned it.

When you've finished, weave in the ends.

It makes a nice, flat seam.

Tracy

 

 

 

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