I have to admit that putting the finishing touches on any project is not my strong suit – mainly because as soon as I bind off my last stitch, my brain automatically categorizes the project as done. And most of the time, there is still a lot to do until it reaches the official status of finished object! Whether it be seaming, grafting, or weaving in ends, I usually take a break from my project before I muster up the enthusiasm for tidying up any loose ends and finishing everything up.
However – when I do get into the finishing zone, I usually take a whole day to wrap up any projects I have laying around that need those finishing touches. And since motivation for a finishing spree doesn’t happen too often, I do take advantage of it when it strikes and I end up feeling a huge sense of accomplishment (and relief). Although I do tend to put off the finishing aspect of my projects, knowing which techniques to use and how they work is a huge help!
Mattress stitch is one of the more common techniques you might come across and it allows you to stitch together two pieces of stockinette stitch fabric, side by side. This method is nearly seamless and it is hard to tell where the seam lies from the right side. On the wrong side, you’ll find the first stitch of either side tucked away. And for those of you who might be putting off seaming up those sleeves or stitching together parts of your sweater, we’ve made a Mattress Stitch video tutorial to help guide you along, step-by-step!
Although it does take a little practice to train your eye to find all of the little bars or ladders that are picked up from side to side, I find that mattress stitch moves along very quickly and is extremely efficient. And again, although I tend to procrastinate on these aspects of my knitting, I can’t help but smile every time I use mattress stitch – it just seems like magic to me the way all of the stitches come together so neatly.
What’s your favorite finishing technique? Do you procrastinate on the finishing touches to your projects (like me!) or do you start seaming and grafting as soon as you bind off?
