Kichener's Stitch

Kitchener’s Stitch

Needle 1 will be front needle and Needle 2 will be back needle.

 

First, prepare for Kitchener’s stitch by sliding tapestry needle purlwise into first stitch on needle 1 then knitwise into first stitch on needle two.  Be careful to keep the working yarn from sneaking up over the needles as you work. Now we begin.

 

Insert tapestry needle knitwise into first stitch on Needle 1 and push it off Needle 1 then insert tapestry needle into second stitch purlwise.

 

Now insert tapestry needle into first stitch purlwise on Needle 2 and push it off Needle 2 then into second stitch purlwise.

 

Let’s go back to needle 1 and insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch 2 and push it off needle 1 then purlwise into stitch 3. Now needle 2’s turn. Insert tapestry needle purlwise into stitch 2 and push it off needle 2 then knitwise into stitch 3.

 

See the pattern? For stockinette stitch there’s an easy mantra I recite, “knit off purl then purl off knit”. It’s technically knitwise and purlwise but saying “knit off purl then purl off knit” kept it straight for me. The closest needle, Needle 1 will always be knit off purl and the farthest needle, Needle 2, will always be purl off knit for stockinette stitch joins.