Kitchener Stitch

What does Kitchener stitch mean?

Kitchener stitch (also called grafting) means joining two rows of unbound stitches to each other invisibly. Kitchener stitch is most commonly used at the toe of a sock, but the same technique could, for example, let you cut 10 cm / 4" out of the body of a plain stockinette sweater and join the remaining body and hem back together seamlessly.

Kitchener stitch is worked with a tapestry needle and yarn — not knitting needles — so that the join becomes seamless. In other words, Kitchener stitch imitates the shape of knitted stitches.

Watch the video below or read the instructions to the end.

How do you start Kitchener stitch?

• Divide the stitches onto two needles. Both needles (front needle and back needle) must hold the same number of stitches.
• Place the wrong sides of the work together, so the needles sit parallel. On a sock, hold the top and the sole together.
• Cut the yarn, leaving a tail about 4 times the width of the seam (leave it longer on a sock, so you can weave in the end afterward).
• Thread the tail through a tapestry needle. Make sure the working yarn comes from the last stitch on the back needle.

How do you work Kitchener stitch?

Sew the stitches on the front needle and the back needle in turn. Repeat this:

Step 1, front needle: Using the tapestry needle, sew through the first stitch knitwise (left to right), and drop it off the needle. Then sew through the next stitch purlwise (right to left), and leave it on the needle.

Step 2, back needle: Using the tapestry needle, sew through the first stitch purlwise (right to left), and drop it off the needle. Then sew through the next stitch knitwise (left to right), and leave it on the needle.

Keep repeating until only one stitch remains on each needle.

How do you finish Kitchener stitch?

When only one stitch remains on each needle, sew just the first stitch on the front needle and the first stitch on the back needle, then drop both stitches off the needles.

Once Kitchener stitch is complete, you can check the tension of the seam and even it out stitch by stitch with the tip of the tapestry needle, so the seam matches the surrounding knitting. Weave in the end on the wrong side.