[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Matress stitch for sewing together knitting

[Tracy Carcione]

Yesterday I went to my local yarn store and got a refresher on the matress
stitch, so I can sew together the fancy lace sweater I'm making.

People here were interested, so I'll try to describe it.  I could teach a
class, but I thought people might want to know quicker than that so they can
finish up stuff for the holidays.

 

Matress stitch:

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.

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.  

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 stitchs, 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