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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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How to Sew a Kitchener Stitch (a.k.a Graft Your Ends!)

November 3, 2014 2 Comments

How to Sew a Kitchener Stitch (a.k.a Graft Your Ends!) - Video Knitting Tutorial at Hands Occupied

Sometimes a knitting project requires sewing. If you’ve been knitting for any amount of time, you’ve probably noticed that you have to weave in ends. I prefer to weave in my knit ends with a tapestry (yarn) needle since I feel like it goes a little faster. This is probably the most common form sewing takes in my knitting. The second most common sewing action that happens in my knitting is the kitchener stitch. Also known as grafting your knitting, the kitchener stitch lets you join two ends of knitting, and if done right, it looks seamless.

I’m all about cowls, and the kitchener stitch is a cowl knitting lover’s BFF, especially if that cowl knitter hates knitting in the round. Knitting in the round is fine with me, but sometimes as I imagine a cowl pattern I want the stitches to lay in such a way that knitting in the round won’t work. That is when I know I’ve got some kitchener in my future. And if you are newer to knitting or, like I said, simply hate knitting in the round, grafting is the way to make infinity scarves that will, due to their lack of seams, have a true infinity effect.

All of that said, I’ve done a photo-based tutorial on the kitchener stitch in the past (you can see it at the bottom of this post), but I had a request for it also in video form, which totally makes sense. Kitchener stitch is really useful, but kind of awkward to learn at first. For today, I’ve only done a right handed kitchener stitch tutorial because even when I knit left handed, I fiddle around with the loops and use a right handed kitchener stitch to graft my ends. If someone would like me to make a proper left-handed tutorial for this, just holler and I’ll make it happen. ;)

Hands Occupied Patterns Featuring Grafting

If you want to see the kitchener stitch in action, here are two cowls I’ve designed that use it. They both knit up pretty quick and have video tutorials for how to knit the stitches featured in each if you’re looking to try a new stitch in addition to the kitchener. Happy knitting!

Faux Woven Cowl

Knitted Faux Woven Cowl - Free Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

Brioche Cowl

Brioche Knitting & A Brioche Cowl Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Filed Under: Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: grafting, joining ends, kitchener, kitchener stitch, live stitches, provisional cast on, video tutorial

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Marayla Wallace

    February 14, 2017 at 3:32 pm

    I love your videos! They are easy to understand and fun. I especially like the music in this Kitchener stitch video.

    I made a Brioche cowl, using the provisional cast-on you suggest. So the beginning number of stitches and ending number of stitches are different, but I thought I could count the ‘x’ stitches at the ending as 1 stitch, as in the Brioche stitch, and end up with the same number of stitches as the beginning of the cowl. In joining them with the Kitchener stitch, something went wrong, even though I was trying to be careful. I noticed some big, gaping holes, so I un-knitted back to the start (or tried to, I need to read your instructions on fixing mistakes in Brioche!). By the way, this is a möbius cowl, so maybe that screws up the orientation of the stitches too much to do this?

    My question is, what is the trick for joining the 2 ends with the Kitchener stitch? Do I need to add a row of Brioche at the beginning? Do I decrease the Brioche row at the end to be the smaller number of stitches like at the beginning?

    Should I just join the ends with a mattress stitch or something?

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      February 15, 2017 at 10:27 am

      Good question, Marayla! Yes, for the kitchener stitch to work, there needs to be the same number of stitches on both ends of the piece. If you want to get creative, you could work two of the stitches on the longer edge into one stitch on the shorter end, but that could get tricky. For a more seamless look, I’d recommend decreasing the end with the larger stitch count to match the shorter end, which will taper the longer end more gradually into the shorter for that close-to-seamless look. Let me know if I can explain this better!

      Thanks for reaching out,
      Heidi :)

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
This audio was me last summer while secretly desig This audio was me last summer while secretly designing the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern behind the scenes. 😆 I very often design with primary colors, so trying to explain suddenly working with black, white and grey was awkward/kinda funny. 🩶
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In case you missed it, this is my design from the new book ‘Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town,’ available now from @insighteditions & @tanisknits. We’re doing a knit along starting very soon, and we’ll be knitting this pattern! I’ve got weekly video tutorials planned for this educationally-focused knit along. This KAL is especially for you if you’re eager to work on your intarsia. 🧶
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Full KAL details, yarn quantities & pattern information are available on my bl0g, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Yarn: @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted
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#nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook #handsoccupied #spiralhillsweatervest #knitting #halloweenknitting #knitalong #kal #knitting_inspiration #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #learntoknit
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
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