<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></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'>At our knit-along Saturday, we talked about how to sew pieces together, among other things. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Please correct my whip stitch instructions, if necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>When I say needle in these instructions, I mean a blunt, big-eye darning needle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>For both, thread a long piece of yarn onto your darning needle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Pin the 2 pieces together with locking stitch markers that you will remove as you come to them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Whip stitch:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This creates a seam with one strong ridge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Put the 2 pieces together, wrong side out. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><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. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>You always put the needle through the 2 pieces going in the same direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>When you’re done, weave in the ends of the yarn you used to sew with.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mattress stitch:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This creates a seam with 2 ridges.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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=MsoNormal>“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=MsoNormal>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=MsoNormal>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=MsoNormal>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=MsoNormal>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=MsoListParagraph>** 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=MsoListParagraph>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=MsoListParagraph>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=MsoListParagraph>Angle the needle to come up in the next stitch, and pull the yarn through. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>Snug the pieces together, and pull your tail to snug the corners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>Repeat from **.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>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=MsoListParagraph>When you’ve finished, weave in the ends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>It makes a nice, flat seam.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph>Tracy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>