Knitting Patterns Often Call for Seams, Make Yours Professional with the Mattress Stitch (Video)

Knitting is an art. Not just a craft or a hobby, but an art. You can make beautiful designs and even develop your own patterns. Once you understand the basics of knitting and you find stitches that really work for you, you can just go crazy with designing. But there is a lot to know about knitting. The finer points and techniques that make a good knitting experience into a great one!

Knitting is an art

This article is about knit seaming. You have to put things together after you have knit the pieces. You will learn how to piece them together seamlessly and effortlessly. Once you get the hang of it, it is truly an art. Sweaters, baby clothes, patchwork pieces, these all need to be seamed together. You knit them in pieces. Like the arms for the sweater are knit separately from the body and then will need to be attached. (Yes there are patterns that you knit it all in one piece, but that really wouldn't go very well in this article now would it? )

My favorite seaming style is called the mattress stitch. I have no idea why it is called this, but it is. Many seamstresses would probably know why and it is from sewing that it comes. But it is truly the most elegant and it is not difficult at all. So we are now going to focus on the mattress stitch approach to attaching that sweater arm.

A professional looking seam can be done with the mattress stitch

Now to get ready to you need to learn to make a good edge to what ever it is you are knitting. There are two ways I like to do this. You can decide which you prefer. But no matter what your pattern calls for, just knit the first and last stitch of the row. Even if that means you are interrupting the pattern to accomplish it. If you have a little OCD like I do and don't like to mess up your pattern, when you are casting on, no matter how many stitches they told you to cast on, just add two more. This will give you a nice selvage edge to work with. It makes seeming it together so nice and easy and beautiful.

Alternatively, the other thing you can do is slip the first and last stitch of each row. Same as above either add two more stitches to the called for number of stitches to cast on. Or just interrupt your pattern and slip the last and first stitch of the row. Simple.

A little preparation can make seaming so much easier

This will give you an edge that will be very easy to see and makes the perfect edge for picking up stitches while you seam. You'll see what I mean. I have included a couple of videos. However, they did not leave the nice little selvage edge so they are just picking up stitches from their patterned work. You will have an advantage.

Now use the same yarn you just using to knit your piece. When you come to the end of the piece and you are ready to tie off. Leave a nice long tail of yarn so you can thread a tapestry needle to seam up your piece. If you forget to do this. No worries, you 'll just thread up your needle with the yarn and attach and then seem.

Always direct the needle away from yourself as you seam

The key to this stitch, and if anything was going to confuse you this is it. You hold the two edges together and work away from yourself. Not toward yourself. You hold the tapestry needle in your hand with the point away from you. You are "climbing a ladder" one rung at a time. You stitch first the right, then the left, then the right and then the left. Don't let your yarn get tangled or knotted on itself. Just a nice smooth seam. When you pull your thread after you have done several stitches, the seam will literally disappear. It is very professional looking.

The videos give you excellent help with this. It will be very clear once you view them. This is not hard. Just takes a little practice. And all your knitted pieces will be seamless and professionally beautiful. And you will have earned bragging rights to how very talented as a knitter you actually are. Congratulations!

Free patterns that require seaming. You can now use your mattress stitch skills

Chill Chaser Pullover
Dual Texture Tunic
Easy Options Top

YouTube Videos:

Mattress Stitch tutorial

Second tutorial

This one gives you a good view of what we are talking about. It is a little slow to start but once she gets to seaming, it really will help you see what is being done.
Third View of how it's done

This is a very professional machine knitting person that is teaching the mattress stitch. She does a really good job with this

Source:

Creative Knitting Magazine

Knitting Daily