The Kitchener stitch or grafting is used to graft together stitches so that the seam looks like a continuous row of stitching.
Kitchener Stitch for Stockinette
The live stitches to be grafted need to be on two needles. Cut your working yarn, leaving a length about three times the width of the area to be grafted. Thread the end on a yarn needle. Hold the two needles parallel in your left hand with the wrong sides of the knitting together, and the needle points facing to the right follow the directions below.
Set-up
- Insert the yarn needle into the first stitch on the front needle purlwise. Pull the yarn through and leave the stitch on the needle.
- Insert yarn needle into the first stitch on the back needle knitwise, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the needle.
Repeat
- Insert the yarn needle into the first stitch on the front needle knitwise, pull the yarn through, and slide the stitch off the needle.
- Insert the yarn needle into the next stitch on the front needle purlwise, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the needle.
- Insert the yarn needle into the first stitch on the back needle purlwise, pull the yarn through, and slide the stitch off the needle.
- Insert the yarn needle into the next stitch on the back needle knitwise, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the needle.
- Repeat Steps 1-4 until all of your stitches have been work. Adjust your tension as you go so that it matches the knitted fabric and looks like a continuous row of knitting and not a seam.
Finishing in Stockinette
1. Now insert the darning needle knitwise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle.
2. To finish, insert the darning needle purlwise into the first stitch on the back needle. Pull the yarn through and drop the stitch from the needle.
Short Version for Kitchener Stitch Stockinette After Setup
Front: Knit off – (knit first stitch on front needle, drop stitch off)
Front: Purl on – (purl next stitch on front needle, leave stitch on)
Back: Purl off – (purl first stitch on back needle, drop stitch off)
Back: Knit on – (knit next stitch on back needle, leave stitch on)
Grafting Garter Stitch
This technique is similar to stockinette, but you do the same movement for both the front and back needles. Also, the piece on the front needle must have completed a wrong-side row so that the bumps are snug under the needle on the right side. The piece on the back needle must have completed a right-side row so that the smooth knit stitches are just below the needle on the right side.
The garter stitch must be on two parallel needles with the front needle have a yarn tail three times the width of the area to be grafted.
Hold the two needles in your left hand with the wrong sides of the knitting facing together and the needle points facing right. Thread the yarn onto a yarn needle.
Set-up
- Draw the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle purlwise, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the needle.
- Draw the yarn through the first stitch on the back needle purlwise, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the needle.
Repeat
- Draw the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle knitwise, pull the yarn through, and drop the stitch off the needle.
- 2. To finish, insert the yarn needle knitwise into the stitch on the back needle. Pull the yarn through and drop the stitch from the needle.
- Draw the yarn through the next stitch on the front needle purlwise, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the needle.
- Draw the yarn through the first stitch on the back needle knitwise, pull the yarn through, and drop the stitch off the needle.
- Draw the yarn through the next stitch on the back needle purlwise, pull the yarn through, and drop the stitch off.
- Repeat steps 1 to 4 until only one stitch remains on each knitting needle. Take care to gently adjust the tension of the newly made stitches every few stitches to match the knitting of the pieces you’re grafting together.
Finishing Kitchener in Garter Stitch
1. Now insert the yarn needle knitwise into the stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle.
2. To finish, insert the yarn needle purlwise into the first stitch on the back needle. Pull the yarn through and drop the stitch from the needle.
Short Version for Grafting Garter Stitch After Setup
Front: Knit off – (knit first stitch on front needle, drop stitch off)
Front: Purl on – (purl next stitch on front needle, leave stitch on)
Back: Knit off – (knit first stitch on back needle, drop stitch off)
Back: Purl on – (purl next stitch on back needle, leave stitch on)