Debbeeanne, I'm interested in the responses you'll receive on this seam question. I have knitted 6" squares for a baby afghan and maybe I can use the same invisible seam.

Debbeeanne, I only block knit & crochet items if they are curled up on the edges or stretched out of shape.

I've used lots of seam methods. I'm not sure what you call an invisible seam - is that where you make a stitch between the pieces that looks like another knit stitch? I have done that; it's not hard but for me it was time consuming.

You can put the pieces right side together and either whipstitch or do a running stitch. That's the seam I usually use. Socks, for an afghan made of squares you can use a crochet hook and either slip stitch or single crochet them together. If you do it on the right side it's decorative. Of course, you can to the sweater seams that way, too!

Donna

Donna Loomis, or was it Jean, explained the best seam method to me. And it is the best. Maybe you can explain again, Donna? It is not hard to do at all.

Thanks for your responses. I think I am going to use the whipstitch. The invisible stitch I was talking about is also called the mattress stitch. It is good for putting two pieces of stockinette together, but I am not sure about putting in sleeves, etc.

I have had trouble with the whip stitch looking good enough. If I saved the answer to my question, I will post it.

I agree with sheilajoyce. I would use the whip stitch only as a last resort. The mattress stitch or even a back stitch would be preferable.

OK, Here's what Jean wrote me when I had the same problem as to how best to sew sweater parts together. I believe Jean is from Australia, and we have not heard from her recently.

"Try joining your seams from the right side. Yup! Hold your pieces together, right side facing you. On the edge of the knitting you will see one row as a loop, the next as a knot. Start with an attached yarn and from the inside of piece 'a' bring your needle up through a loop. On the opposing piece 'b' insert your needle down in one loop and up in the next, then do the same thing in stitches that correspond on piece 'a' going down the loop where your yarn last came up. You are basically creating a "knit" row to join your pieces. You can pull your yarn to tighten the row a bit, but leave a little stretch in it. It creeates an almost invisible seam."

The other good way to join is to place the pieces together, right side out facing you. With your yarn, go under the edge of the top row of stitches and sew the yarn around the little post under the 1st stitch. Now go to the same spot on the alternate piece, under the first row of stitches, and sew around the post of that stitch there. Alternate until the seam is completed.

"Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques" by Nancie Wiseman has great pictures and instructions. Your local library may have a copy.

I use a mattress stitch almost exclusively. Shoulder seams I bind off together or use a kitchener stitch. The only place I ever use a back stitch is on neckbands - I do not cast off and backstitch through the open stitches. When I was selling my designs I always blocked before joining, now I rarely do.

So what is a mattress stitch, Paula? I think I saw the kitchner stitch online.

I think this site explains it better than I can. Only difference is I stitch 1 1/2 stitches in from the edge (in the V) and they are stitching 1 stitch in.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mattress stitch with pictures

Although I have not yet tried the Mattress stitch or even the kitchner stitch, I usually go from side to side bringing my yarn needle up from underneath, to bring the seam together. Also,I have actually gone to my sewing machine and sewed the seam, with very nice results. Have any of you tried this method?

I have sewn zippers into baby buntings with the sewing machine, Bettyboopt. They were crocheted with hdc and I used almost a basting stitch to put them in. The results were attractive, and I've been told that they held up wonderfully. But I've never used the sewing machine for seaming.