How to Knit Seed Stitch
Source: Sheep & Stitch • Full tutorial: www.craftingstepbystep.com/knitting/how-to-knit-seed-stitch
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Hands-on time
- About 25 minutes
- Cost
- About $2 to $5
Tools
- bamboo straight knitting needles
- circular knitting needles
- knitting stitch markers
- blunt tapestry needle
- small yarn scissors
- knitting row counter
- blocking mats with T-pins
Materials
- worsted weight wool yarn
- scrap yarn for practice
Steps
1. Tell a Knit Stitch From a Purl Stitch on the Needle
Look at the fabric before you cast anything on. A knit stitch shows as a flat V sitting in a neat column.
Tip: Hold your knitting up to a lamp. The bumps catch the shadow and the Vs go flat, which makes the two much easier to separate while you are learning.
2. Cast On an Odd Number of Stitches for Flat Seed Stitch
Cast on using whatever method you like. The long tail cast on is what Sheep & Stitch uses here and it gives a tidy, stretchy edge.
Tip: Count twice before you start row one. An even cast on gives you one by one rib, not seed stitch, and you will not spot it for an inch.
3. Work Knit One Purl One Across the Row to the Last Stitch
Knit the first stitch with the yarn held at the back. Bring the yarn forward between the needle tips and purl the next one.
Tip: The yarn moves between the tips, never over the top of the needle. Carrying it over adds a yarn over and your stitch count climbs.
4. Check the Finished Seed Stitch Panel for Scattered Bumps
After a few rows, spread the fabric along the needle and look at it. You want bumps scattered in a checkerboard, each one sitting directly above a flat V.
Tip: Seed stitch lies flat with no curl. If your edges are rolling, you are looking at stockinette, not seed stitch.
5. Cast On an Even Number and Place a Marker to Work in the Round
Working a tube changes the count. Cast on an even number of stitches onto a circular needle, join without twisting, and slide a stitch marker onto the right needle tip to mark the start of the round.
Tip: Run the cast on edge along the cable and check every stitch faces the same way before you join. A twist here cannot be fixed later.
6. Alternate the Rounds So No Bump Lands on Another Bump
Round one is knit one, purl one, the whole way around to the marker. Round two flips it: purl one, knit one.
Tip: Or use the hack and forget the rounds entirely. Knit the purls and purl the knits, and the alternation takes care of itself.
7. Wrap the Yarn Around the Right Needle Tip to Form Each Stitch
The mechanics do not change in the round. Yarn to the back and wrap for a knit, yarn to the front and wrap for a purl, moving it between the tips each time.
Tip: Bind off in pattern, knitting the knits and purling the purls, or the top edge flares and spoils the flat finish you just spent all that time on.
