This Seaming Stockinette Stitch Tutorial is for all those instances you have to sew a cast-on or bind-off edge to another cast-on or bind-off edge. This could be the front and back shoulders of a sweater, the bottom of a bag, or any other number of knitting circumstances that may arise! Note that, if you’re in a situation where you need to seam along the vertical selvages of stockinette stitch rather than seaming stockinette stitch horizontally, be sure to visit our Mattress Stitch Tutorial.

For this technique here, you basically sew back and forth under adjacent knit stitches. Super easy to do and very tidy, here’s exactly how to do it…

Click To See Video Transcript

 Hey guys, this is Laura from Purl Soho, and I’m going to show you how to seam stockinette stitch horizontally from one edge to the other. As you can see here, I used a contrast yarn, but I’m sure you can imagine how invisible this would be with yarn to match. It creates a really beautiful seam. It’s very clear and clean on the backside as well.  So yeah, let’s get started. 

As you can see here, I have two swatches of stockinette stitch and I have their bind off edges parallel and next to one another. You could also orient your fabric with a bind off edge and a cast on edge, or two cast on edges. It really works in any of those combinations. 

The other thing I have is a tapestry needle threaded with yarn. I am using a contrast color, but of course you would use a… the same yarn that your fabric was knit up in. So, the first thing I want to do here is take a look just above this edge and identify this first row of stitches.

These little Vs kind of just coming straight across here. Now, do the same thing down here. Find these Vs. Now you’re going to be working into the Vs, kind of back and forth from one swatch to the other. We’re going to begin with this lower swatch. I’m going to take the tip of my tapestry needle, and I’m going to bring it up from the back of the fabric to the front of the fabric, right in the middle of this first V.

Just like this. I’m going to pull my length of yarn out, and I’m going to leave A tail here. The next thing I’m going to do is identify the first V, or stitch, just above this edge. I’m going to take my tapestry needle, and I’m going to go under both legs of that V. Right here.

Alright, so now, back down to the lower swatch. I want to put my needle directly into the swatch where I last came out of this swatch, or last exited this swatch. So I’m going to take the tip of my tapestry needle and put it right here in the center of this first V. From front to back. And then I’m going to  come out of the swatch in the center of the V right next door, right next to it.

And now we go back up to the top swatch. Once again, I’m going to insert my needle where I last exited this swatch. Put it under the two legs of the V next to the V I just worked in up here. Just right here. Pull my yarn through. And back down to the lower swatch. 

Insert your needle where you last exited this swatch. Exit the swatch right in the center of that next- door V. And now back up to the top. So you may notice that in the top swatch we’re going underneath these Vs. And then in the lower swatch we’re working into the center and then out of the center of the Vs. You kind of just continue in this rhythm across the entirety of your fabric. Or as your pattern describes. And what you’re doing in this technique is creating an entirely new row of what looks like knit stitches. But it’s done by sewing. So you can see I’m creating these new Vs here. I’ve left them a tiny bit loose for demonstration purposes, but ideally they’ll be the exact same size as your knit stitches are.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Thread a tapestry needle with a length of yarn and arrange the two pieces you want to seam so that the seam edges are parallel to each other.

Pass the tapestry needle from the back of the fabric to the front through the middle of one piece’s right-most edge stitch. Pull the yarn through until you have about an 8-inch tail.

Next, pass the needle under both legs of the other piece’s right-most edge stitch.

Now, inserting the needle into the middle of the first stitch (where you first passed the needle from the back of the fabric to the front), pass the needle under both legs of the next stitch.

Back to the other piece, insert the needle where it last exited and pass it under the next two legs.

Repeat this last step all the way to the end of the seam!

Give Seaming Stockinette Stitch Horizontally A Try!

Seaming Stockinette Stitch | Purl Soho

Julie Hoover used this technique to finish her stunning Olson knitting pattern, made with Hedgerow, our beautiful 93% merino, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk worsted weight yarn.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!