Kitchener Stitch-Inside Out
For you who might loathe this handy little stitch…
After-Publishing-Postscript: Thought I’d better add the photo of the right-side view following the tutorial.
Disclaimer No. 1: This post does not intend to dismiss Kitchener stitch instructions excerpted from any previously published knitting books.
Disclaimer No. 2: As original thought is rare indeed, I am probably repeating instructions which have been posted/published/taught/expounded upon somewhere on the internet. If so, this is yet another version of the same old thing and my eureka moment was superfluous.
Now, the basic instruction book said this-
Place stitches to be joined on two separate needles.
Hold the needles parallel with points facing to the right and so that the wrong sides of knitting are facing each other.
Step 1: Bring threaded needle through front stitch as if to purl and leave stitch on needle.
Step 2: Bring threaded needle through backstitch as if to knit and leave stitch on needle.
Step 3: Bring threaded needle through the same front stitch as if to knit and slip this stitch off needle, bring threaded needle through next front stitch as if to purl and leave stitch on needle.
Step 4: Bring threaded needle through first back stitch as if to purl (as illustrated), slip that stitch off, bring needle through next back stitch as if to knit, leave this stitch on needle.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until no stitches remain on needles.
Ack! As closely as I tried to follow the instructions and keep straight all the knitwise, purlwise, stitches left on the needle and stitches taken off the needle, I just couldn’t do it. My seaming was worse than wonky…more like rubbish.
Having a new stubbier mobile dictated that I shorten the mobile sock I had knit for the original phone. I unpicked my first shabby attempt at the Kitchener and found in de-constructing, I began to understand the construction of it. I just had to look at it inside out. So, here’s my (hopefully) simplified thinking on Kitchener.
Disclaimer No. 3: Didn’t have time to put in lovely little labels on the photos, but I think you’ll get the gist of it…
Turn the whole thing wrong side out, line up your loops for the seam. Keep whatever amount of loops remaining on your needles as you feel comfortable with, take threaded needle and…
1. Go up through bottom loop. I’ll call it Loop A.
2. Go up through a new loop, called Loop B.
3. Go across to next new loop in the sequence, Loop C.
4. Go back through Loop A.
5. Go through next new loop in the sequence, Loop D.
6. Go back through Loop C.
From here on, it’s a matter of going through the next new loop and then back to the previous loop, repeating that sequence. Basically, each loop should have had the needle go through it 2 times.
Finish off all the loose loops, secure and weave in ends. And that’s it…a nice smooth seam of stitches.
So, I’m wondering…was this little discovery the ultimate-greater-cosmic-purpose behind my mobile going though the wash?
No, I think not. But certainly is a great by-product of it!
excellent! As you say, it may be out there somewhere else, but this is the first time that I have seen this description of the stitch, Inside out! Who knew!
26 Jun 2007 at 2:16 pm
That looks great! Peronally, I enjoyed Kitchener stitch to begin with, but when I knit my socks toe-up I don’t get to do it that often.
26 Jun 2007 at 4:52 pm
Thank you! I now realize that I’ve been doing … something else entirely, rather than Kitchener, which is why you end up with virtually NO seam showing, whereas I’ve always had one.
Guess I’ve got some re-Kitchener-ing to do.
26 Jun 2007 at 10:20 pm
That’s probably the prettiest Kitchener tutorial on the net!
27 Jun 2007 at 12:39 am
thanks for your efforts. i will keep this in my helpful information file!
27 Jun 2007 at 2:09 am
Thanks for taking the time to post that Cheryl. I’ll certainly keep that in my knitting file to use later, as I’ve tried so hard on a few occasions to do this but ended up doing a 3 needle cast-off which is not the same.
27 Jun 2007 at 8:38 am
Brilliant!
28 Jun 2007 at 11:23 am
ah. . . . the old turn-it-inside-out-upside-down trick! Seriously, you’ve hit on a great way to really SEE what the Kitchener stich is DOING, which is not at ALL easy to see when keeping stiches on needles, back and forth knitwise, purlwise and all-around-the-block-wise. . . .
Sometimes I guess you’ve just got to get on the inside and take a peek at the guts - not to mention HAVING the guts to take the stiches off the needle and just go for it. Way to go, and thanks!
03 Jul 2007 at 9:45 pm