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Giveaway – Socks With Hand Painted Yarns

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ssSo is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard of the Sock Summit?? Is there anyone besides me who isn’t going?

Why aren’t I going? I’m a professed addicted sock knitter. Well, for one thing, I’m also a farmer. I also live in Michigan. You do the math. Even if the money were there, the critters demand to be fed twice a day. So, no sock summit for me, at least not this year.

So, I loved all of the horror stories about your socks, sure made me feel better about my “less than perfect” socks. Here’s my horror story: I knit a pair of socks out of Flat Foot Yarn by Conjoined Creations. Hated the colorway, loved the socks when they were done, however, I experimented. The first sock I used a pattern that I came  across, nothing special, just liked it, it was a toe up so what the heck. It came out ok, really, it looked good. Next sock, I found another toe up pattern (which has now become my default standard pattern) and knitted according to that. It fit. It was gorgeous, not just nice, but awesome. So where’s the horror in that? These 2 socks do not match. At all. I’m not talking color, or splotchiness, I’m talking about that sock 1 fit until I tried on sock 2. The the first sock became something more of the “green giant” variety. It was huge, and long and it fit fine until I tried on the other. So, there, now the whole world knows!

Tell me your horror stories, it might get you a book!

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Comments

  1. My horror is doing top down socks and running out of yarn……. happened once. Now I do toe up !!

  2. I’ve only knit a couple of pairs so far – and all has gone ok. Keep my fingers crossed it’s good knitting and not just good luck!

  3. I knit up a gorgeous pair of socks in a gorgeous pattern and a gorgeous yarn. Toe-up, on dpns. My standard method. These were county fair material, they turned out so nice. I’m all set to do the cuff ribbing on the second sock. I grab the first to confirm the number of rows of ribbing to do and find not one, not two, not three, but FOUR dropped stitches! I now have to pick out the already woven in ends and cast off and rip back over two inches of lace pattern to fix the first sock. And the second is still on the needles…

  4. My horror story? Aside from the sock whose foot was too small for the length…toe up socks are kicking my butt!! I love knitting cuff down, and maybe thats just cause i learned that way first but… i have had a lvoely tow up on the needles for over a year now! Not only that but they have sat on the end table in the living room staring, mocking me. I need to get over it and pick them back up. Of course now i more than likely need to frog them as i may not be able to find where i left off….le sigh!

  5. I’m pretty bummed, but I’m also not going to Sock Summit. It’d be amazing, and I’m determined to go some year, but this year, I decided that I’d rather make my mortgage payment.

    Sock catastrophes. I’m not much for patterns, and more than once I’ve cast on, increased, knit the sock, cast off, cast on for the second sock, increased, knit the sock, cast off…and then realized that one sock has extra (generally just two or four, but once *twelve*) stitches. I do it on autopilot and didn’t even notice until I tried them on.

    Also, the first time I tried to do two socks at a time on a long circular needle, I managed to cross the yarn between socks, not just once but several times. It had to be ripped back almost to the toes. I was so frustrated I could’ve cried.

  6. The one big disappointment I’ve had is that I belong to a sock club – a really popular one – and got some really interesting yarn that was a superwash/silk blend (note: all the yarn in my 3 years of membership in this club has been 100% superwash and has proven to be machine washable). I knit the socks, really liked them, wore them once then put them in a mesh bag and washed them in my front loader on gentle… got them out and they had felted.

    I sent an email to the club and they pointed to the verbose notes that are enclosed with the pattern about dyeing the yarn… I never read that stuff, I just looked at the yarn label before winding – no special instructions there, then started knitting. Bummer.

    The yarn WAS beautiful and so were the socks, but I’d never make socks I couldn’t wash easily – I could have easily used a scarf out of that yarn.

  7. I am not going to Sock Summit either, sadly. Maybe when I am old enough to go out on my own…

    So, my sock horror story includes the Pomatomus socks that I am working on now. I am doing them from the top-down (as always), and I had many problems with the cuff. It is knit with 10 rows, and about everytime I got to the 5th row, I dropped a few stitches. I was not that experienced in picking up dropped stitches, so ended up ripping back at least 4 times! I finally got the hang of it, and then knit all the way to the heel flap. Once there, I tried the sock on and the length was ANNOYING! Therefore, I ripped the whole thing, and redid it with only one pattern repeat. This is the first pattern with which I had to rip back so much!

Have you read?

How To Do Kitchener Stitch: A Beginner-Friendly Guide To Grafting Knitting Seamlessly

Kitchener stitch is one of those knitting techniques that feels a little bit mysterious until you finally sit down and do it. It is often used to close the toes of socks, but it is also a wonderfully neat way to join two sets of live stitches together without making a bulky seam.

If you have ever finished a beautiful sock and then paused at the toe because the pattern says “graft remaining stitches,” this is the tutorial you want to keep handy.

Kitchener stitch, also called grafting, creates a row of stitches between two pieces of knitting so the join looks almost invisible. Instead of binding off and sewing two edges together, you use a tapestry needle and yarn to form a new row of knitting between the live stitches.

It is one of the most useful finishing techniques for knitters, especially if you enjoy knitting socks, mittens, cowls, loop scarves, or garments where a smooth join matters.

You might also like this older CraftGossip post on grafting with Kitchener stitch, and if you want to go deeper into finishing techniques, this post on mastering grafting in knitting is another helpful read.

What Is Kitchener Stitch?

Kitchener stitch is a method of grafting two sets of live stitches together. The stitches stay on two needles, usually held parallel to each other, and you use a threaded tapestry needle to work through the stitches in a specific order.

When done well, the finished join looks like one continuous piece of knitting.

This is why Kitchener stitch is so popular for:

  • sock toes
  • mitten tips
  • shoulder joins
  • cowls
  • loop scarves
  • seamless tube projects
  • underarm stitches on some sweaters
  • small knitted bags and pouches

It is most commonly used on stockinette stitch, but grafting can also be adapted for other stitch patterns once you understand the basic idea.

Why Use Kitchener Stitch Instead Of Sewing A Seam?

The biggest benefit of Kitchener stitch is that it creates a smooth, almost invisible join. That matters most in places where you do not want a bulky seam, such as the toe of a sock.

A sewn seam across a sock toe can feel uncomfortable inside a shoe. Kitchener stitch avoids that by creating a flat, flexible finish.

It also gives knitted items a more polished look. If you are making gifts, charity knits, socks, or heirloom-style projects, learning this one technique can make your finished pieces look much neater.

For knitters who enjoy socks, you may also like this roundup of knitting patterns using sock yarn, especially if you have leftover yarn after finishing a pair.

Supplies You Need

To work Kitchener stitch, you will need:

  • two knitting needles holding live stitches
  • a tapestry needle or darning needle
  • yarn tail or matching yarn
  • scissors
  • good lighting
  • a little patience the first time

If you are working sock toes, most patterns will tell you how many stitches to leave on each needle before grafting.

As a general guide, leave a yarn tail at least three times the width of the stitches you are grafting. If you are unsure, leave a little extra. It is much easier to weave in a longer tail than to run out halfway across.

A blunt-tip tapestry needle is easier to control than a sharp sewing needle because it slides between yarn strands without splitting them as much. You can find tapestry needles, sock knitting tools, stitch markers, and finishing supplies through places such as Amazon, Mary Maxim, or your favorite local yarn store.

Before You Start: Set Up Your Stitches

For standard Kitchener stitch on stockinette:

Hold the two needles parallel, with the wrong sides of the knitting facing each other.

The right side of the knitting should be facing out.

The needle closest to you is the front needle.

The needle farther away from you is the back needle.

Thread your yarn tail onto a tapestry needle.

Try to keep the stitches sitting neatly on the needles and avoid twisting them before you begin.

The Kitchener Stitch Mantra

Many knitters remember Kitchener stitch with this little rhythm:

Front needle: knit off, purl on.
Back needle: purl off, knit on.

That means:

On the front needle, go into the first stitch knitwise and take it off. Then go into the next stitch purlwise and leave it on.

On the back needle, go into the first stitch purlwise and take it off. Then go into the next stitch knitwise and leave it on.

Once you get into the rhythm, it becomes much less intimidating.

Kitchener Stitch Step-By-Step

Setup Step 1

Insert the tapestry needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl.

Pull the yarn through.

Leave the stitch on the knitting needle.

Setup Step 2

Insert the tapestry needle into the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit.

Pull the yarn through.

Leave the stitch on the knitting needle.

Now you are ready to begin the repeating sequence.

Step 1: Front Needle, Knitwise, Off

Insert the tapestry needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit.

Pull the yarn through.

Slip that stitch off the knitting needle.

Step 2: Front Needle, Purlwise, On

Insert the tapestry needle into the next stitch on the front needle as if to purl.

Pull the yarn through.

Leave that stitch on the knitting needle.

Step 3: Back Needle, Purlwise, Off

Insert the tapestry needle into the first stitch on the back needle as if to purl.

Pull the yarn through.

Slip that stitch off the knitting needle.

Step 4: Back Needle, Knitwise, On

Insert the tapestry needle into the next stitch on the back needle as if to knit.

Pull the yarn through.

Leave that stitch on the knitting needle.

Repeat these four steps until all stitches have been grafted.

A Simple Way To Remember It

Say this out loud as you work:

Knit off, purl on.
Purl off, knit on.

It feels silly the first few times, but it works. Many knitters mutter this little phrase while closing sock toes, and honestly, anything that helps you avoid losing your place is worth doing.

How Tight Should Kitchener Stitch Be?

One of the most common mistakes with Kitchener stitch is pulling the yarn too tightly.

You are not sewing a seam closed. You are creating a new row of knitting.

After every few stitches, gently adjust the tension so the grafted row matches the surrounding stitches. If you pull too tightly, the join may pucker. If you leave it too loose, the grafted row may look stretched out.

A good trick is to look at the stitches beside the graft and try to match their size.

Do not panic if it looks a little uneven while it is still on the needles. Kitchener stitch often looks better once everything is off the needles and the tension has been gently adjusted.

How To Finish The Last Stitches

When you get to the final stitches, continue the sequence as closely as possible.

If there is only one stitch left on a needle, work the “off” part of the sequence for that stitch.

Pull the yarn through gently and then weave the tail into the inside or wrong side of the project.

For socks, weave the end into the inside of the toe so it will not be visible.

Troubleshooting Kitchener Stitch

My graft looks too tight

You probably pulled the yarn too firmly as you worked. Use the tip of your tapestry needle to gently loosen each grafted stitch, working from one side to the other.

My graft looks loose

Gently snug up the grafted stitches one at a time. Do not yank the working yarn all at once, as this can make one area tight and another loose.

I lost my place

Pause and look at the stitches. If the last stitch was removed from the front needle, you are probably ready to work the “purl on” part on the front needle or move to the back needle. If you are a beginner, it helps to say the mantra out loud every single time.

I split the yarn

A blunt tapestry needle helps prevent splitting. If a stitch looks split and messy, carefully undo that part before continuing.

The join looks like a seam, not a row of knitting

This usually means the tension is too tight or the needle was inserted in the wrong direction on some stitches. Practice on a swatch before using Kitchener stitch on a special project.

Practice Before Grafting A Real Project

If Kitchener stitch makes you nervous, knit two small stockinette swatches and place the live stitches on two needles. Use a contrasting yarn to practice grafting across the stitches.

Practicing with a different color makes it easier to see what the grafted row is doing. Once you understand the movement, try again with matching yarn.

This is especially useful before grafting handmade socks, because sock toes are small and can feel fiddly the first few times.

When Else Can You Use Kitchener Stitch?

Kitchener stitch is most famous for sock toes, but it is helpful in many other knitting projects.

Use it for joining the ends of a cowl or loop scarf, especially when you start with a provisional cast on. This CraftGossip post on making loop scarves from stash yarn mentions using a provisional cast on so the ends can be grafted together neatly.

You can also use Kitchener stitch for small bags, seamless headbands, mitten tips, and some garment joins.

If you are brushing up on knitting basics, this post on favorite ways to cast on is a good companion read, especially if you are learning how different beginnings and endings affect the finish of a project.

Kitchener Stitch For Sock Knitters

If you knit socks from the cuff down, Kitchener stitch is one of the most useful finishing techniques you can learn.

Most cuff-down sock patterns end with a small number of stitches divided between two needles. Kitchener stitch closes those stitches without creating a ridge across the toe.

For a comfortable sock toe:

Keep the stitches evenly divided.

Do not pull the graft too tightly.

Check that the toe lies flat before weaving in the end.

Use matching yarn whenever possible.

Once the sock is finished, blocking can also help smooth the stitches and even out the graft.

If you enjoy knitting small accessories, you might also like these easy headband knitting patterns, which are great projects for practicing finishing techniques on something smaller than a sweater.

Kitchener stitch has a reputation for being tricky, but it is really just a short sequence repeated across two needles. Once you remember the rhythm — knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on — it becomes much easier.

The real secret is to slow down, keep your tension relaxed, and remember that you are creating a row of knitting, not stitching a seam shut.

It may not feel natural the first time, but after a few sock toes or practice swatches, Kitchener stitch becomes one of those finishing skills you will be glad to have in your knitting toolkit.