Here I demonstrate how to do Kitchener Stitch in 2×2 ribbing, so that there are no breaks between the knit and purl stitches.
You’ll find this much easier if you already understand how to work Kitchener Stitch in Stockinette stitch. Here is my video on regular Kitchener Stitch.
Here are the written instructions for working this:
Setup:
Front Needle: go into stitch as if to purl
Back Needle: go into stitch as if to knit
Knit Stitches:
FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to purl, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to knit
FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
Purl Stitches:
FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to purl, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to knit
Information on things you’ll see in this video:
The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.
The sweater on the mannequin is hard to see, but it’s the Central Park Hoodie (not my pattern).
The nail color I’m wearing is by OPI, called “Nein! Nein! Nein! OK, Fine!”
My watch ring is made by Davis.
Sorry – I don’t know the yarn I’m using in the sample. But the needles I’m using are Crystal Palace Bamboo Double-Pointed needles.
Staci, Every once in a while, someone mentions knitting and purling backwards on the knittingparadise website. I saw someone do it on a site a week or so ago, but can’t remember where. I think it would come in handy to use while work entrelac (which is what some of the knitters were using it for).
Could you please do a video showing how to knit and purl backwards? You’re are so good at teaching and your backgrounds are so much better than anyone else I watch.
Thanks for all you help in the past.
Thank you so much for this, Staci! It might have been me a little while back who asked you this. You’ve solved a tricky problem! 🙂
Thank you, Staci! I also asked for this, as I was totally stumped. You make us all better knitters, and our work so much more beautiful! Thanks!
Thank you… this is fantastic! It sure helped me finish my latest project.
Thank you for making my first attempt at Kitchener stitch a great success.
This tutorial is wonderful! Thanks so much!!
enjoyed your video, but I need for my work to look the same on right and wrong side since I want this
finish for a scarf
Many thanks
Linda.
Linda – I can’t think of a seam that will be the same on both sides of the work, but grafting is the next best thing. Just like normal knit stitches (that appear as purls on the other side of the work), this seam does the same thing.
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Staci
Thanks for your response, I’m really looking is for the purls and the knits to look : purls to look like purls and knits to
look like knits on the right and wrong side of the scarf that I’m trying to sew together.
I’m having a hard time with this, so any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Many thanks
Linda
Linda – this video on “reading” your knitting should help: https://verypink.com/2013/03/13/reading-your-knitting/
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Linda, the Vogue Knitting ultimate knitting book has a nice description of how to graft k1p1 ribbing using a four needle technique. It worked really well for me.
Do you have a similar method for grafting 1 x 1 rib that starts with a purl stitch and ends with 2 purl stitches?
Hi Rebecca – sorry, I don’t have any other videos on grafting rib stitches. But you should be able to modify what I show here to suit you needs. I can also put this as an idea for upcoming videos!
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I’m working on the Central Park Hoodie for my daughter and was looking for a tutorial on the Kitchener stitch to close the top of the hood. So many thanks for your video as well as the printed instructions. I’ve got many knitting books but none of the instructions included info on the purl stitches.
Hi Staci,
I want to use Kitchener stitch to seam the centre back of a collar on a sweater. The collar is worked in garter stitch. I watched the video on grafting rib stitches – would I work it as if they were all purl stitches? And how would I work the first (set-up) stitch?
Thanks for your wonderful videos. I’ve learned to knit from scratch entirely thanks to you!
Amanda – you can work regular Kitchener stitch, no modifications. Just make sure the knit stitches are facing you when you work it…if purl stitches are on the right side of the work, do the Kitchener stitch from the wrong side.
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You are a genius. thank you!!
This is *brilliant*. I mucked it up a bit at first, but then it clicked.
Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi, Staci,
Thank you so much for your very clear videos – you have helped me back into knitting after years of thinking I couldn’t do it – tho if my Aunt was still alive, she’d still be tutting over my shoulder!
I have a problem that I haven’t found a solution for yet and I’m wearing out my gorgeous yarn trying different techniques, so I thought maybe you’d help?….I have knitted a cowl in straight brioche….it has some cables in it, but I want to graft the section that’s straight – obviously! I found a YouTube video that says it’s brioche grafting, but it doesn’t work fully. This maybe a tall ask, but if anyone can help me, I reckon it’s you!
Yours hopefully, Ruth
Hi there!!
I loved your blog and website!!!
This tutorial was extremely helpful!!!!
I have just posted a link on my website helping my readers with grafting too!!
Take a look at it!! 😉
Thank you!!
All the best, Steph
Thank you, Gola, for your beautiful cable cowl link…unfortunately, it won’t really help me because my cables are knitted in brioche stitch!…maybe I shouldn’t have! 😉 Ruth
I have watched you video many times. And I’ve learned the following:
For front needle: do (knit off, purl on) repeatly
For back needle: do (knit off, purl on) or (purl off, knit on) depends on whether the coming up stitch on the front needle is knit or purl. If the coming up stitch on the front needle is purl, then do (knit off, purl on). If the coming up stitch is knit, then do (purl off, knit on).
Is this right?
Staci, you have saved the day! I was kind of winging it on a sweater for my son & ended having to cut the sweater in the middle, reknit the top & Kitchener the top and bottom back together. There was some ribbing involved and I wanted it to look like I never had to cut it, of course. Your video helped me do it perfectly!
Thank you so much! I applied this method to grafting two scarf pieces in pattern. Where I had multiple stitches of knit (or purl), I worked the first half of the instructions until I got down to two knit (or purl) sts on each needle followed by two purl (or knit) sts–then I worked the directions for the appropriate st accordingly. Where I had one knit (or purl) followed by a purl (or knit), I went right to working the second half of the instructions. It worked beautifully! I don’t know why I look elsewhere for help because I always end up back at your site. Your directions are invariably the most direct and easiest to follow. Thanks again!