Today’s topic for Friday Finishing is Mattress stitch seaming in Stockinette fabric.
Once you’ve worked your Figure 8 start to line up the cast on edges (view that blog post and video here), you are ready to work your seam.
Here is a video tutorial I made on working mattress stitch:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWgRpDUcEtY]
The keys to working a good mattress stitch seam are:
- Make sure you are picking up the bars in the correct space – the space between the columns of stitches. Moving over a half stitch to either side will ruin the look of your seam.
- Make sure you are picking up every single bar. Picking up two bars at a time will weaken the seam and make it not as attractive.
- Pull the seaming thread tight, but not too tight or the seam will pucker. Make sure there is still a bit of give to the fabric vertically along the seam.
And here is a video tutorial on finishing off the bound off edge at the seam:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUUlh8AultY]
(Edit 8/5/2020: This is best for in the round, or if no more seaming is going to be happening. Not the best option for Master Hand Knitting seaming swatches. Here is a video tutorial on finishing the seam if more seaming will be occurring. This would be a better option for MHK swatches.)
Hopefully these videos help you with your seaming!
Next week we’ll cover working mattress stitch seaming in seed stitch fabric.
Until then, Happy Knitting!
(See here for the next post in this series.)