Kitchener Stitch is a technique for invisibly grafting live stitches together. It is essentially a set of sewing steps that you work with a length of yarn and a tapestry needle. In the end, you have a row of knit stitches that seamlessly graft together two sets of live stockinette stitches… Pretty amazing! (Note that sometimes Kitchener Stitch is used over other simple stitch patterns, but the steps for those stitches are in a different order.) Common places to use Kitchener Stitch are at the toe of top-down socks and at the shoulders and underarms of garments.

The instructions for Kitchener Stitch may seem a bit intimidating, but really, it’s super simple. The only real challenge is keeping track of where you are in the steps. A good tip: Say each step out loud as you do it, and soon, you’ll be in the rhythm!

Stitch along with our video or skip down to our step-by-step photo tutorial and you’ll be Kitchener-ing in no time!

Kitchener Stitch: Step-By-Step

Kitchener Stitch | Purl Soho

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.

Kitchener Stitch | Purl Soho

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.

Kitchener Stitch | Purl Soho

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.

Kitchener Stitch | Purl Soho

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.

Kitchener Stitch | Purl Soho

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.

Kitchener Stitch | Purl Soho

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.