Friday, November 4, 2011

Kitchener - abridged version

So the ever illusive and intimidating Kitchener stitch (aka, grafting & invisible join). It's really not that scarey of a stitch. though a note card to remember may be of help.

This is the directions for grafting stockinette, don't worry about a set up, just start straight out as written.

place your seam back to back (wrong sides touching, tips pointing the same direction)

You have your front needle and your back needle.

Thread your tail onto your yarn needle.

When you enter your stitch, enter it form the leading leg like you would when inserting your knitting needle into the stitch. Your leading leg will be the leg of the stitch that is closest to the tip of the needle. Depending on your style of knitting, this will be in front or back... either way, just be sure to enter form the leading leg and you will be fine. Stitch mount really has no effect on how you need to work the kitchener stitch.

front needle: insert yarn needle as to knit, take stitch off the needle, insert yarn needle into next stitch as to purl (leave this stitch on the knitting needles)

back needle: insert yarn needle as to purl, let stitch fall off the needle, insert needle into next stitch as to knit and leave this stitch on the needle.

repeat over and over. until you have removed every stitch from the needles.

Abridged notes if you want to write it down for handy reference.

front needle: knit, drop stitch off, purl
back needle : purl, drop stitch off, knit

even more abridged...

front: K, off, P
back: P, off, K

and that is the ever elusive, forever intimidating Kitchener stitch.