The Kitchener Stitch that Couldn't

Oh my what is this?  Is this an actual post!? About something relevant?! Yes.  Hi, me again.  This is a sock that I just finished this morning. 

I actually finished the knitting last night while watching two hours of Craft in America, but for some reason was incapable of doing the kitchener stitch.  That silly little stitch gets me every time; is it me, or does it just feel counterintuative?.  I seem unable to commit it to memory, and have to reread the instructions for each stitch.  Last night I did it wrong twice, then tried something "new" [something that I will not share since the idea was so terrible and cost me several rows that needed reknitting with a dropped stitch every few stitches] and then finally gave up until this morning.  Shoot.  But the sock is done and I am debating whether I want to make the second.  I don't know that I will wear these, and while I like the pattern, the fit is rather "slouchy".  And I am not in love with the yarn [this is my last variegated yarn project- why do I keep buying these when I never love how they come out?]. 

So that is the lovely sock that took months at best.  It is not "the sock" to which my knitting group remembers as the one that took a year to knit.  As in, "are you still working on the sock?"  This was also my first lace project and I feel now comfortable with the whole YO thing to which I was previously terrified.

It bugs me a bit to just have one of a pair so I might just be the type to cast on #2 anyway...

Cheers all!

Comments

[Desiree]

Do you kitchener with a darning/sewing needle or with knitting needles? I tried and tried and tired with a sewing needle and finally decided it's not for me. But with a knitting needle it became so easy for me.

Not that you asked, but here's how I do it. Put the stitches on 2 needles in even amounts (you will need a third needle as your working needle) with the working yarn coming off at the end of one needle (doesn't matter which). Cut the working yarn so there's a length that's 3-5 times the space you need to cover (better safe than sorry!).

Now I will define "pull through": this is when you knit/purl a stitch and instead of keeping it on your right (for right-handers) needle, you pull up on the needle until the tail end comes out of the WIP and dangles. Make sense? All stitches when kitchenering are "pulled through".

So, here it is:
On the front needle (closest to you), purl the first stitch (pull through of course) and drop it off the left needle. Knit the second stitch (pull through [this is the last time I'll say that, just do it on all stitches]) and leave it on the needle.

On the back needle, knit the first stitch and drop it off the left needle. Purl the second stitch and leave it on the needle.

To recap: Front - purl & drop, knit & keep. Back - knit & drop, purl & keep. Repeat.

Hope that helps. =)