There is a stigma around Kitchener stitch. Many knitters consider it to be confusing and hard to remember. In reality, it’s not THAT complicated, but yes, it does require some sewing skills.
Even though Kitchener stitch is the best way to create an absolutely invisible seam, there are other ways to join stitches that look quite nice and are easier to do.
In this article, I’ll show you one of those ways. We won’t use a wool needle to join stitches. Instead, we’ll use a crochet hook. In some sources, this way is called “crochet link join” (“Knitting: Colour, Structure and Design” book by Alison Ellen), in others – “Russian grafting”.
No matter how we call it, it’s a great way to join shoulder stitches, close the toe part of a top-down sock or connect open stitches in any other spot in your knitting.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
The last stitch you will have on your crochet hook will be the one that is attached to the yarn tail. To finish off your work, pass the tail through the last stitch and pull tight to secure.
Weave in the tails, and enjoy the tidy seam you’ve just made! This seam looks even better on the purl side of the work. By “better” I mean you can hardly see it at all 🙂
Read the full step-by-step version of this tutorial:
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