Dense Stockinette Stitch Worked Back And Forth And In The Round

One of the ways to reinforce sock heels, soles of slippers, elbow areas of sweaters and cardigans, as well as other parts of our projects is to use a stitch pattern that forms a thicker and denser fabric.

The problem is that the gauge of the majority of those denser stitch patterns is different from the gauge of stockinette stitch and other “knit and purl” stitches.

Some denser stitch pattern (I mean you, dear herringbone stitch  also have uneven side edges. These edges form crooked unsightly join when we incorporate them into another stitch pattern.

We can easily resolve all these issues when we make each stitch of stockinette pattern thicker and denser. We do it by forming “reinforcement” stitches in one row or round and eliminating them in the next one.

I tested different ways to create a “reinforcement” stitch, and it seems that “pulled increases” give the best results.

This simple method makes each stitch thicker without messing up the gauge, so we can safely use this “denser stockinette stitch” to make any part of our projects firmer and more durable.

Let’s see how we can do it step by step. 

After a few rows / rounds you will see that the section worked in a denser stockinette stitch is noticeably thicker than the rest of the fabric, but it is not wider or longer and it fits perfectly into the stockinette gauge.

If you use wool, the reinforcement stitches will quickly bond to the regular stitches resulting in a warm and durable fabric that will keep your socks and other projects toasty and hole-free.

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