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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Tracy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sonya Coulombe via NFB-Blind-Crafters<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 16, 2026 9:22 AM<br><b>To:</b> List for Blind Crafters and Artists <nfb-blind-crafters@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Sonya Coulombe <sonya.coulombe@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Sewing knit pieces together<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Hi Tracy,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Thank you very much. I’ll keep that info for sure. :)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>I really wish I didn’t miss that meeting. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>I heard about the Kitchener stitch. Is it another name for one of those or is it something else?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Thanks again,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Sonya<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id=ms-outlook-mobile-body-separator-line><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="98%" align=center></div><div id=divRplyFwdMsg><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'> NFB-Blind-Crafters <<a href="mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces@nfbnet.org">nfb-blind-crafters-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>> on behalf of Tracy Carcione via NFB-Blind-Crafters <<a href="mailto:nfb-blind-crafters@nfbnet.org">nfb-blind-crafters@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 16, 2026 8:48:26 AM<br><b>To:</b> 'List for Blind Crafters and Artists' <<a href="mailto:nfb-blind-crafters@nfbnet.org">nfb-blind-crafters@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:carcione@access.net">carcione@access.net</a> <<a href="mailto:carcione@access.net">carcione@access.net</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Sewing knit pieces together</span> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>At our knit-along Saturday, we talked about how to sew pieces together, among other things. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Please correct my whip stitch instructions, if necessary.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>When I say needle in these instructions, I mean a blunt, big-eye darning needle.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>For both, thread a long piece of yarn onto your darning needle.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Pin the 2 pieces together with locking stitch markers that you will remove as you come to them.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Whip stitch:</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This creates a seam with one strong ridge.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Put the 2 pieces together, wrong side out. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>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. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>You always put the needle through the 2 pieces going in the same direction.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Repeat until the whole seam is sewn up. Keep your stitches close together so the seam doesn’t have any gaps in it.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>When you’re done, weave in the ends of the yarn you used to sew with.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>Mattress stitch:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>This creates a seam with 2 ridges.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>“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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>Thread your yarn needle with a piece of yarn about 3 times the length of the sewing you need to do.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>** 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.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>Angle the needle to come up through the next stitch on the far piece, and pull the yarn through.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>Put the needle from the top down into the stitch where you came up last time on the near piece.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>Angle the needle to come up in the next stitch, and pull the yarn through. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>Snug the pieces together, and pull your tail to snug the corners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>Repeat from **.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>When you’ve finished, weave in the ends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>It makes a nice, flat seam.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph>Tracy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>