Kitchener stitch is a technique for invisibly weaving together live stitches.
Knitters tend to shy away from learning this stitch because it seems complicated when all written out, but it’s actually very simple to do; the only real challenge is keeping track of where you are in the steps.
Step 1: Thread a tapestry needle with the same yarn you used to work your project. Hold the needles with the live stitches parallel in your left hand. Insert the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front needle as if to PURL. Pull the yarn through, leaving a tail that you will weave in later. Leave the stitch on the front needle.
Step 2: Insert the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the back needle as if to KNIT, pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the back needle.
Step 3: Insert the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front needle as if to KNIT, pull the yarn through, removing the stitch from the front needle.
Step 4: Insert the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front needle as if to PURL, pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the front needle.
Step 5: Insert the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the back needle as if to PURL, pull the yarn through, removing the stitch on the back needle.
Step 6: Insert the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the back needle as if to KNIT, pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the back needle.
Repeat Step 3 – Step 6 until all stitches have been worked. Every few stitches, adjust the tension of your work, making sure not to pull too tightly. Remember, you are making an extra row of knitting rather than sewing together a seam.
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This is a great tutorial. Thank you so much! I am going to practice with a couple of squares before I use it on a project, but I think it's awesome!
Very good idea……
Thanks for the tutorial. Can you use one of the working yarns to do the stitching?
Hi EAS,
YES! You certainly can, if it’s long enough.
Thanks for writing in. Apologies for the delayed response. I’m not sure how it slipped through the cracks.
Best,
Laura
this was very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for such wonderful instructions. I already used your technique for casting on and now that the knitting is complete, I’m off to try this stitch.
excellent! The first time it actually made sense, even after watching many other explanations of the kitchener stitch. Thank you!
Thanks for the really clear video. I’m using it on the Vite Cowl (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vite-cowl). For purl stitches do we just reverse the stitches (stitch knitwise where the directions say to stitch purlwise, and vice versa)?
Hi Claudia,
Thank you for your very good question. Yes, if you do the reverse stitches then your seam should read as a purl row.
Happy Knitting!
Jake
Thank you for this video tutorial! I just successfully used the kitchener stitch to finish a project (that is going to be a gift) by following this video. Thank you so much!
After watching many videos, I found your it’s the more complete and easy way to do it, I am making 17 pairs of socks! My first attemp with your instructions, was a complete success, beautiful finish. A little explanation what to do with the last stich will be helpful. I did it my way put it in inside and hidden the end? Thanks a million.
Hello Maria!
Continue the steps as instructed until you can no longer! You will slip off the last stitch onto your darning needle and then make sure to weave in your end securely. That step can always help you mask any imperfections at the edges.
Glad you like the tutorial! Happy stitching! -Alyson
Really helpful ,I can see you have lots of other hints.Thank you! Sarah
Excellent video and instructions but very hard to see because of a box that floats down as I scroll asking about saving to favourites and the previous and next posts which I think is the website not my computer. It obscures the left hand side of everything and I am left reading the top inch of the screen where I can see the whole width (I’m doing this as I type now). Any idea as to how can I get rid of this? Thanks.
Hi Tara,
Thanks so much for your comment. We are aware of this problem and are working on fixing it. We’re so sorry it’s rendering this way, please check back soon! Joelle
I am having the same problem as Tara — where this annoying box for “save to favorites” blocks my view. Have you figured out why it is doing this?
Hello, Katherine!
Thank you so much for writing in! We are very sorry about this inconvience! We have taken care of this issue, but you’re still having trouble please let us know!
Take care,
Kumeko
I am left handed, so do I switch directions and go over and under. Do you have a left handed tutorial?
Hello Cela!
Which hand do you normally hold the yarn is as you knit? Left handed knitters should usually be able to follow the same instructions but just using your left hand. If you prefer to knit everything in mirror image, we don’t have a tutorial for that technique at the moment. Some left handed knitters hold up a mirror to the tutorials to help them visualize the instructions!
Thanks for your question! -Alyson
Is there an alternative bind off that gives a similar level of elasticity? I knit left-handed continental and cannot find useful instructions for the Kitchener stitch. I carry stitches on the left needle and “pick” the stitches with the right needle, holding the yarn in my right hand. I’ve had knitting teachers tell me that they have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but my work comes out as it should. However, not so with Kitchener stitching. I end up with twisted stitches.
Hi Jan,
Thanks for writing in! If the only problem with your kitchener stitch is that your stitches look twisted, that is not a big problem at all. It’s my assumption that you are inserting your tapestry needle as if to knit through the back loop instead of through the front of the stitch. If you knit through the back loop naturally then you will twist your stitches when inserting your tapestry needle the same way for kitchener. I hope I’ve shed some light!
Best,
Adam
I’d love to see how this works in other stitches, such as ribbing or seed stitch where there is a mix of knit and purl stitches.
Hello Diane!
That is a wonderful question. For the purl stitches, all you should have to do is reverse the steps from the order that you normally would proceed if they were knit stitches. Here is a video that helps you graft stitches in 2×2 rib. I hope this helps! Please write in again if you have any other questions! -Alyson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb5nfkgZ-Kc
I got to the last 2 stitches and I’m not sure what to do. Could you please explain how to finish the last 2 stitches? Thank you!
Hello, Kali!
Thank you so much for wriing in! You will continue the steps as instructed until you can no longer! You will slip off the last stitch onto your darning needle and then make sure to weave in your end securely. That step will help you mask any imperfections at the edges. Happy knitting!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Thanks for the tutorial! Both the video and the written explanation are very helpful. This may be a silly question, but can kichener be used to join together a garter stitch piece? If yes, would it be worked any differently than what is in your tutorial? Thanks in advance!
Hello Sarah!
Its definitely possible, take a look at how we completed the grafting in this post: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2011/04/10/whits-knits-striped-cotton-cowl/ Thanks for your question! -Alyson
I’m working on finishing up my shawlette. It has ha me work a knitted cord cast off across the center lace panel stitches as follows: *k2, ask,return stitches to the left needle and repeat from * until only the two sets of three I-cord stitches remain. I am at this point. It saws to cut yarn and GRAFT the knitted cord sections together. I can not seem to find any info on grafting two sections of I cord. Kitchener Stitch? Don’t want to spoil the project at this point. Thank you for you help.
Hello Kathleen!
Yes, grafting is often used interchangeably with Kitchener stitch in certain patterns. It will be a little odd to be doing Kitchener in the round, but the technique is the same. Best of luck and please let us know how it turns out! -Alyson
Thank you for the tutorial. I used it for your seamed socks pattern.
Hello, do you think kitchener stitch would work on your chevron scarf? I would like to knit two separate pieces and graft them together in order to have the same look at both ends. I’m worried that by grafting it may destroy the chevron design, perhaps that is why your pattern does not attempt this idea.
Thank you.
Hello, Bill!
Thank you for writing in! Sorry about the delayed response! I am not sure I know what scarf you’re thinking of. I believe that as long as the two pieces of fabric that your are grafting together fit together like pieces of a puzzle you should be able to kitchener them together without destroying the chevron design. Please let us know if you have further questions.
Best wishes,
Kumeko
I’m doing an attached i-cord with a provisional cast on. When joining the two ends of the i-cord do I treat the yarn used for the cast on as a needle and carefully unravel it where it says to remove the stitch from the needle?
Hello Edward,
That is a great question, that you for reaching out. You will want to carefully unravel the provisional cast on and slip those live stitches onto a spare double point, or any kind of needle for that matter. You will then kitchener the 2 i-cord ends together. I hope that helps. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Happy knitting,
Allison
Thanks. Little nervous about this slipping and unraveling but I’ll just have to be careful.
Thank you.
So helpful.
very easy to understand but i need to know how to do this on a provisional cast on and live stitches on another that are both circular needles in the round. making a knitted headband with a lining and suppose to graft together the cast on and cast off stitches but confused on how to hold the needles would you beable to explain that to me? i will be grateful!!
Hello Rebecca,
Thanks for writing us! Firstly, pick up your stitches from your provisional cast on and remove the scrap yarn. Divide your stitches in half and put one half on a double pointed needle and then do the same for the other half, starting with your beginning of round stitch. Repeat this for your “cast off”, starting with your beginning of round stitch. Now you will orient the two tube ends together so they “kiss”. Make sure that your beginning of round stitches match up and that you are not twisting the tube. Holding the two “beginning of round” double points together (cast on and cast off), start your kitchener stitch, continuing on to the second double point when the time arrives. I hope this was clear. It’s much easier to show than to type!
Best,
Adam
Hi, do you have any suggestion on how to adapt this for crochet edges?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing us! I don’t know of any technique that is like kitchener for grafting crocheted edges. This technique is just for knitting. Good luck on your search though!
Best,
Adam
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I was looking at your 3 needle cast off, where you suggested kitchener stitch instead. Really clear instructions, I would have struggled to understand otherwise. Thank you
I’m about to start the Kitchener stitch on your Lovely Lace Leaf scarf but I’m not sure what to do with the two live yarns from the two separate pieces. I’ll use the yarn from the back section, but don’t know what to do with the front. Thanks!
Hello Marlene,
That is a very good question! Once you have stitches the 2 ends together you can simply weave the other end into the work as you do with any other end. I hope that helps. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Allison
I used a different tutorial to do a Kitchener stitch and the results were bad enough that the project ended up in my frogged pile. Thanks for this tutorial! Kitchener stitching makes sense and a rescued pair of socks. Success
Can I use a variation of Kitchener stitch to bind off the top of a hood that is worked in k1, p1 moss stitch? If so, what is the sequence of stitches/ Many thanks.
Hi Sue,
Thanks for writing in! We do not have a seed stitch kitchener tutorial, but there are many videos for seed/moss stitch grafting and 1×1 ribbing grafting on YouTube. I would start there. Since there are so many videos, I rather you pick which one you understand best rather than me giving you one video. Good luck and happy knitting!
Best,
Adam
I need to do a Kitchener stitch on ribbing to join final stitches, 8 in all. Thank you!
Hi Francine,
Thanks for writing in! We don’t currently have a 1×1 rib kitchener tutorial, but I’m sure there are plenty of examples on YouTube! Good luck on the search!
-Adam
THIS IS THE VERY BEST TUTORIAL ON KITCHENER STITCH EVER! I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THESE WONDERFULLY CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS AND DEMONSTRATION!
I am knitting an old fashion hat for a toddler – the last step is to weave 2 rows of ‘live’ stitches together using weaving/Kitchener stitch. After a last knit row of the hat, I was to leave a long tail for weaving and cut it at about 18″. I am using 2 regular needles – the tail is at the end of one of the needles where the flat end is – not the point….how do I use the tail to weave when – from all the information I’ve read, the weaving is supposed to start at the pointed end of the needles? Should I just leave the tail and begin with another length of wool at the pointed end of the needles? Help!
Hi Janet,
Thanks for your question! If you are cutting your yarn at the end of your last row, then your 18″ tail should be at the point of your needle because it was cut from your working yarn. However, if it’s not, then you can certainly do kitchener stitch with unconnected yarn. You’ll just need to eave in your yarn ends into the inside of the hat. I hope this helps!
-Adam
I have finished a beautiful lace shawl called “Lace Shawl” by Alice Halbeisen. She says to use a Kitchener Stitch to graft the two pieces together, but I want to make it totally invisible. The problem is that at that spot the two sides will be mirror images instead of continuing the pattern. Hmmm….any suggestions?
Thanks! Happy to be learning a new technique.
Sue
Hi Sue,
Thanks for writing us! I would trust in the designer’s pattern and follow it exactly. Maybe, with the way the lace forms, the shawl will come out seamless. The only way to know is by doing a few inches of kitchener stitch to see how it forms. If it isn’t seamless, then there is no sure-fire way to graft lace together since every lace pattern is a little different. Let us know how it goes though!
-Adam
A previous comment says you can use the working yarn for this. Is it different than the tutorial? Or do you start the same? I have a beanie knit in the round from the base up and it requires a Kitchener stitch to close the top for a squared look. I did one beanie and cut a long piece of yarn for the Kitchener stitch, but it’d be nice if I could figure out how to use the working yarn so I don’t have so many ends to weave in. Thanks!!
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly use your working yarn for the kitchener. Here we used a contrast yarn to illustrate the technique more concretely. You can use your working yarn, just follow our instructions as written with the attached yarn!
Best,
Cassy
I’ve always been more than slightly afraid to try this, but I just knitted up the Gilmore Girls A Year in the Life MKAL and needed to finish the cowl. These instructions are amazing! My cowl finished up beautifully. #GGMAKL16
Hi Ann,
Thank you so much for the kind words! We are so glad that this tutorial was helpful!
Best,
Cassy
Hello, I want to knit a scarf, but how do I start it, to get stitches at both ends to use this wonderful stitch, my scarf is in gafter stitch.
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for writing in! You’ll want to use a provisional cast-on to keep your cast-on stitches “live” so that they can be knit later. This will allow you to use the kitchener stitch! We’ve got two tutorials that cover provisional cast-on’s, the first is a Two-Step Method and the second is a One-Step Method. Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Thank you for simple, clear and concise instructions of the kitchener along with helpful illustrations!!
Other instructions I found were useable but tedious to follow.
I have seen some tutorials that do not include the set-up steps for the first stitch on each needle. Have you heard of that?Rather, they start right in with the knit off/purl on for the front needle then purl off/knit on for the rear needle. Is the set-up optional? What purpose does it serve?
Thanks for helping sort out this confusion.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing us. The set up steps are essential for a better edge or seamless join when grafting. I’ve tried not doing the set up steps in my work and find that it doesn’t give me as neat of an edge. Hope this helps!
-Adam
I’m knitting a fox for my granddaughter and have come across this stitch for the very first time. Thank you for a clear video and instructions. Had a few goes but finally mastered it. Very loose at first but managed to tightened it up in the end. Have bookmarked your site for the future.
Very clear instructions. Thank you.
Just viewing your tutorial; I’m knitting socks on three needles. Do I need to put the stitches on two needles to finish them with this stitch? It’s my first pair of socks!
Hi Linda,
Shifting your stitches onto 2 double pointed needles helps the stitches to line up exactly and lay flat. When you’re ready to kitchener I would highly recommend shifting stitches onto 2 needles!
Happy knitting,
Carly
Awesome tutorial! Thank you!
hai… this article very helpful for me. thank you 👌
Hi there
I have finally finished knitting my Purl Soho sweater and have to use the Kitchener stitch for the armpits. Can you tell me how to finish this new row of stitches? What do you do when you get to the end?
THANKS
Hi Clara,
Thanks for writing in! The kitchener stitch will close up the gap and finish off the underarm. It will not create a a new row of stitches that need to dealt with. Rather at the end, you will have just a tail that needs to woven in on the inside of the sweater!
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Hi there, I’m finally grafting the underarm stitches using Kitchener for the Lightweight Raglan Pullover. If I did this correctly, the working yarn is on the right side of the live stitches for the left sleeve (when looking at the sweater as pictured), but the working yarn is on the LEFT side for the right sleeve. Since the tutorial shows working the Kitchener stitch from right to left, do I use a separate piece of yarn to graft instead of the working yarn on the left? Please help!
Hi Fran!
Thanks for writing in! I find it so much easier to kitchener stitch from right to left so if that is easiest for you too I would recommend doing it that way! The only difference is that you need to weave in an extra tail.
I hope this helps!
Carly
I am sewing up under a sleeve of a cardigan that was all knitted as one, the stitches have all been decreased and cast off. Will this work if I pick up stitches on two needles and proceed as per your instructions? I have a yarn tail as I’ve just grafted the side seam to the arm pit .
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for writing in! I would not recommend kitchener stitch for this particular situation, since your stitches have already been cast off. It would work, but you will still have a visible and palpable seam due to picking up stitches from the cast on and cast off edges, so I would skip the extra work and use mattress stitch to join the edges together.
I hope that helps!
Julianna