Kitchener stitch: invisible grafting, step by step
Kitchener stitch (grafting) joins two sets of live stitches so the join does not show. Used on sock toes. The setup, the four repeating steps and the tension.
By Julia WallinCo-founder and editorKitchener stitch, also called grafting, joins two sets of live stitches with a tapestry needle. The join looks like an ordinary row of knitting, with no seam. It is the usual way to close a sock toe.
Before you start
Have the same number of live stitches on two needles.
Hold the needles parallel in your left hand, tips pointing right, wrong sides facing each other.
The working yarn should come from the right-hand end of the back needle.
Cut the yarn, leaving a tail at least 3 times as long as the join is wide. Thread it onto a blunt tapestry needle.
Setup
Do these two steps once. Pull the yarn through each time and leave both stitches on the needle.
Front needle: go into the first stitch purlwise (as if to purl).
Back needle: go into the first stitch knitwise (as if to knit).
How to graft
Repeat these four steps until all the stitches are used up. Pull the yarn through after each step.
Front needle: go into the first stitch knitwise and slip it off.
Front needle: go into the next stitch purlwise and leave it on.
Back needle: go into the first stitch purlwise and slip it off.
Back needle: go into the next stitch knitwise and leave it on.
To remember it: front, knit off, purl on. Back, purl off, knit on. Always go into the front of the stitch, not the back loop, or the grafted stitches twist.
When one stitch is left on each needle, do step 1 and step 3 only. Bring the tail to the wrong side just below the corner so the small point there lies flat, and weave in the end.
If you have to stop, finish a full group of four steps first. Some tutorials leave out the setup steps, so their sequence looks different.
Tension
Do not pull the yarn tight. You are making a new row of stitches, so each one should be the same size as the knitted stitches around it. Tighten the yarn gently every few stitches. If the join is uneven, use the tapestry needle to ease the extra yarn along the join towards the tail.
When to use it
Use it on sock toes, underarm stitches on seamless sweaters, the top of a hood, and cowls knitted flat and then joined. This sequence makes stockinette. The three-needle bind off is simpler, but it leaves a visible ridge. It is one of the methods on the bind off page.
Frequently asked questions
What is kitchener stitch?
A way to join two sets of live stitches with a tapestry needle. The join looks like a normal knitted row. It is most often used to close sock toes.
How many stitches do I need for kitchener stitch?
Any number, as long as both needles hold the same number of stitches.
Why does my kitchener stitch look tight or ridged?
The yarn was pulled tighter than the knitted stitches. Ease the stitches with the tapestry needle, working from the far end towards the tail.
Can you kitchener ribbing or garter stitch?
Not with this sequence, because it makes stockinette. Rib and garter stitch have their own grafting sequences.
Is there an easier alternative?
The three-needle bind off is easier, but it leaves a visible ridge. Use kitchener stitch when the join should not show.
What is kitchener stitch also called?
Grafting. Both names mean the same thing: sewing a new row of stitches between two sets of live stitches with a tapestry needle.
Co-founder and editor at knyt. Knits every guide before it is published.
