Reverse Stocking Stitch Seams

At the Sally Melville workshops I attended last January I learned a new tidbit for working a reverse stocking stitch seam. Sally suggested working at least two selvedge stitches on each end of the row in stocking stitch. I tried it out with the Chloë that I’ve been knitting. I’m pleased with the results.

Here is a blocked sleeve. You can see the nice even column of two selvedge stitches worked in stocking stitch along the edge. Well, the very edge stitch has curled to the wrong side so you can’t quite see both stitches.

I always use mattress stitch for my seams and it was certainly much easier to see where to insert my needle because it was nicely nestled between those two knit stitches.

The finished seams look lovely. On a fully reverse stocking stitch garment there will definitely be a stocking stitch seam line, but I think it adds a nice designer’s touch. Form follows function.

Project Stats

Pattern: Chloë by me.

Yarn: Opal Prisma (1191) and Opal Uni Black.

Challenges: Gauge when working the fronts and sleeves in the alternating reverse stocking stitch and stocking stitch stripes is different than simple stocking stitch. It’s much more like a garter stitch gauge. As a result, more swatching is needed to determine needle size for the fronts and sleeves. I used UK size 12 which when measured with my calipers (from my jewellery making days) are just a titch bigger than 2.5 mm needles. Last time I knit this sweater with 2.5 mm needles, but I used Regia yarn.