Kitchener Stitch

Original yarn choice with magazine.

This little project started with a car repair. I needed something to entertain me while I waited for the repair to be completed, so I picked up the Fall 2012 Creative Knitting Magazine, NO-SEW CIRCULAR & SEAMLESS KNITS magazine.  Inside I found a button-up shurg that I decided to make. 

It had been a while since I knitted something to wear so I wanted a simple project I could make with yarn I had on hand. As it turned out the two partial skeins I had on hand were not the same dye lot and did not match, although I did not realized that when I got started. See two previous posts. So I purchased yarn to make this project and started over.

Second attempt, this time with new yarn.

I really like the yarn and the color and it is an easy project that knits fast. I have both sections complete to the point where I need to put them together. I read the instructions, sounds simple enough, use a darning needle, weaving the yarn knit wise and purl wise through the loops on both needles. It seemed like it would be kind of a centralized cast off process as the two pieces are woven/sewed/attached together.  

Ready to finish sections of the shrug.

What I did not realize is now I have no way to make sure the stitches are the right size. The first try was too loose and very sloppy, then the second try somehow I pulled several unfinished stitches off of the needle before I meant to and had to recreate a few stitches that I managed to unravel. I wonder if it would not be easier to just use three needles, making the knit/purl wise loops between the two pieces through the loops and around a double pointed needle. I would have the needle as a guage to keep the tension and loop size even. 

I found out that this Kitchener stitch is considered to be an "Expert" level stitch and is usually used at the toes on socks, so maybe over a dozen stitches. This shrug has 88 stitches across on each side. The skill level for this project is listed in the magazine as easy. Up to this point it has been, but now not only is this final step an expert level skill, it also feels like sewing and it is included in a NO SEW edition.  I am confident to be able to do advanced level stitches, so getting practice at an expert level may be the best way to learn a new skill. What better place to have it too, at the very end. Hope I can master this soon so I can wear my new shrug.