How to mattress stitch
Watch along as we show you how to use the mattress stitch to join two pieces of knitting together. This stitch allows you to make an invisible and flexible seam.
Here’s how you do it
- Lay down the 2 pieces of knitting to be joined with the right side facing.
- Take the yarn you have knitted with and measure out three times the length of the seam to be joined.
- Thread the yarn through a blunt darning needle.
- Beginning with the left side of the knitting, take your darning needle and insert it into the bottom right hand corner of the first stitch.
- Insert in upwards from back to front.
- Then do the same on the other side into the first stitch on the bottom left and insert your needle from back to front.
- Go back into the same hole as you originally inserted your needle through from back to front and pull the yarn through.
- You are ready to start mattress stitch.
- If you pull your knitting slightly apart you will see 2 horizontal bars or rows. Take your needle and thread and insert it beneath the 2 bars and pull it through from front to back.
- Then back to other side and insert the needle from the front to the back and up 2 bars.
- Matching the rows from each side as you zig zag from edge to edge for 5cm.
- Pull the thread up, holding the base of the seam until the seam is joined and the stitches become invisible.
- Continue sewing the whole length of the seam, then secure the ends by sewing them in.
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