Seaming Beyond the Basics

Class Preview

Banish your finishing fears to seam even the most sophisticated knitting projects with complete confidence.

Introduction

Meet your instructor, knitwear designer John Brinegar, learn the basics of seam construction and set yourself up for success!

Decorative Stitches

Suture stitches in a contrasting color can add an intriguing finishing touch to your knits. John explains how to find the correct edge stitches and walks you through the single-lock, double-lock and continuous suture stitches. Try it with raffia, ribbon or leather!

Mattress Stitch

The mattress stitch binds garter-stitch edges together invisibly or shows a decorative row of knit stitches if you’ve created a selvage. Working with mohair or lace? John shows you how to tackle those tricky fabrics, too.

Shoulder Seams

If you’ve avoided knitting sweaters with shoulder seams, here’s a lesson to banish your fear! John walks you through the basic shoulder-seaming technique that creates the least amount of bulk. If you are using mohair or have cables or lace patterns that meet up at the shoulder, no problem! You’ll learn how to match those stitches perfectly for a smooth transition.

Setting In a Sleeve

Setting in a sleeve can seem tricky, but John makes it logical with his step-by-step instructions. Learn how to attach unequal lengths of fabric to each other as with a sleeve cap, then see that process in action on an actual sleeve. John shows how to manage cabled sleeves and lace sleeves as well.

Seaming Adventures

When seaming non-stretchy fabrics such as silk or cotton, you’ll want to take extra care. John demonstrates how to seam diagonal edges on silk or use a crochet hook to create a seam without stress. You might have wildly different patterns to match, but John helps you make sense of the process. Finally, have some fun with your seams by embellishing them with the hover mattress stitch, leather seams or even metal rings!