Kitchener Stitch/Woven Toe

 

The Kitchener Stitch is used in sock knitting to weave the toe.

 

Thread a tapestry needle.

I have a preference for the tapestry needle with the little scooped point at the end for doing Kitchener Stitch.

image\needle2.gif


Hold the front and back needle in your holding hand, and a threaded tapestry needle in your working hand.


Step 1:
Insert tapestry needle, as if to purl, in the first stitch
on the front needle. Draw thread through, leaving stitch on the needle.

image\st2.gif
Insert tapestry needle, as if to knit, in the first stitch
on the back needle. Draw thread through, leaving stitch on the needle.

image\st3.gif


Step 2:

image\front1.gif
Insert tapestry needle, as if to knit, in the first stitch
on the front needle, and at the same time remove stitch onto tapestry needle.

image\front2.gif
Insert tapestry needle, as if to purl, in the second stitch
on the front needle, and pull through, leaving stitch on working needle.


Step 3

image\back1.gif
Insert tapestry needle, as if to purl, in the first stitch
on the back needle, and at the same time remove stitch onto tapestry needle.

image\back2.gif
Insert tapestry needle, as if to knit, in the second stitch of the back needle, and pull through leaving stitch on working needle.


Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to the end.


Once I learned how to do the stitch, it was easy enough to remember that I was working with a front needle and a back needle, always working with pairs of sts except on the first step, and that I was removing stitches and pulling thread through
. What I never could remember was how to insert the needle.
It is so simple that I can't believe I never saw it while I was doing it.


P1,K1,*K1,P1,P1,K1 repeat from * to end.

 

You can find a terrific illustrations of Kitchener stitch in Big Book of Knitting, Vogue Knitting or any recent issue of Knitter’s magazine.