Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas
Don’t forget to get in on our latest giveaway. Knit To Be Square, book by Vivian Hoxbro, at the end of next week, I’ll send emails from all of my comments and the first to respond with their address gets the book!
In your comment, tell me about your lace knitting!
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.
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:
It is most commonly used on stockinette stitch, but grafting can also be adapted for other stitch patterns once you understand the basic idea.
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.
To work Kitchener stitch, you will need:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A blunt tapestry needle helps prevent splitting. If a stitch looks split and messy, carefully undo that part before continuing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I love to knit lace, especially on socks. The interplay between increases and decreases, color and light, always make me marvel that I actually created the intricate (or simple) patterns which stretch around my foot.
I love to knit fun original characters and novelty items, but have yet to venture into lace.
sounds like a good book
I love lace knitting. I have made several scarfs. I would love to tackle a shawl some day.
My next lace project will be lacy socks.
Sheryl
I’m a new knitter and love lace projects. I’ve started a lace baby blanket, so pretty!
Looks like a fun book!
I THINK EVEN I CAN KNIT A SQUARE
I’m currently knitting a lace shawl – the stormwater shawl to be precise. I’m making it in a fingering weight yarn, but its still lace.
I have just started a shawl after doing a lace scarf. It is a bit scary but very enjoyable.
I’ve only made a couple of lace items, one was a small scarf that could have been a shawl. Just don’t have the patience for it!
You know, I’ve never tried lace knitting. I want to, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. That may have to be my next project.
I’m a new knitter and would love to know more about it 🙂
I recently took a lace knitting class, the very last class at The Point NYC before the store swiftly, sadly closed. The class improved my technique and helped me manage my yarn overs. Now I’m hungry for patterns to keep me going.
I love knitting lace – my first real project was a beaded lace shawl… came out lovely, got a blue ribbon at the county fair! I continue to like to make lace shawls with beads and am winding yarn this week!
I’m on my first lace knitting project. It is a scarf in the Feather and Fan pattern using Dream in Color Smooshy Sock yarn. It’s been really fun and the pattern really only has one line to memorize – the other 3 lines of the pattern are either a knit or purl row. Not hard at all to do and it’s coming out SO cute!
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in the giveaway!
Betsy
I LOVE Vivian Hoxbro’s patterns and her latest book sounds wonderful. I would love to see what she is up to now.
I’d actually love to win this for a friend of mine who love to knit!