
Leave a 2 to 3 inch long tail at the beginning and at the end.

Check your design and begin on the right edge so as to follow the natural line of the stitches you are covering with the duplicating stitches. An 18 to 20 inch length of yarn is about right.Ĭome up through the sweater fabric from the back, in the hole created by the loop of a stitch. The yarn will curl, twist, fray, even knot itself and cause problems. Pre-position your design on the sweater fabric by either locating the top, bottom and sides and placing yarn markers at each of the four points or use a long running stitch to visually create the boundaries of your duplicate stitch canvas.Ī few preparations before your begin your project is well worth the time as you do not want to complete your Swiss darning project only to find that the entire design is a few stitches off horizontally or vertically.ĭo not use a long piece of yarn to duplicate stitch. The knit fabric does not stretch as much as when you are holding it on your lap and it makes for more even duplicate stitches. We like to spread the knit piece on a hard surface such as a cutting mat. You are not using a frame as you would in regular embroidery so make it easy on yourself. It is much easier, and lighter, to support a single piece of knit fabric when working with tapestry needle and “thread”.
#Knitting duplicate stitch how to#
If this is your first duplicate stitching project, we recommend you use light and bright colored yarns.ĭuplicate Stitching How To Note:Work your duplicate stitching before assembling the garment. Embellishing The Home Cookin’ Cardigan Duplicate Stitching How To: From Simple Highlights To Added Details Just a few stitches strategically placed not only add a pop of color but create petals and the stigma. Simple or fancy…make it yours and yours alone.įor this dropped shoulder sweater, there is a minimum of duplicate stitching at the top of the sleeve…a few stitches of lime color to create detail on the purple flower. It can be as simple as covering the base knit stitches with the contrast yarn by following a graphed design or as complex as combining plain duplicate stitching and regular embroidery stitches. This type of “Swiss Darning” is used to highlight an Intarsia design and illustrates the many facets of duplicate stitching. Duplicate Stitching How To: Simple Duplicate Stitch Sample Use a sharp point when surface embroidering the fabric rather than duplicate stitching. The blunt point will allow you to pass through the sweater fabric easily. Most yarns are plied so you want the eye of the needle to be large enough to pass the yarn through without stripping it. You are the best judge of the size which is ideal for the fiber you are working with. Stay away from the huge, plastic needles! The edges on these needles are not smooth and will damage your yarn as you embroider.Ī Size 26 needle works for worsted weight yarns and size 17 or 20 work well with fingering and sports weight fibers. Use a tapestry needle with a blunt, rounded point. This is where you know the sweater will automatically have to be dry cleaned. There are occasions when your duplicate stitching may involve a variety of fibers to complete the design. In the same vein, if you would like to embellish a plain acrylic sweater, then use an acrylic yarn to replicate an initial or a graphed design. If your sweater is wool, use wool (preferably the very same wool) to duplicate stitch any design.
#Knitting duplicate stitch full#
The duplicate stitch technique consists of embroidering over your stockinette stitch sweater fabric by duplicating the “knit stitch”.įor full coverage of your base fabric, always use yarn of the same weight and same fiber. Guide To Duplicate Stitch Duplicate Stitch Primer Duplicate Stitch Made Easy => Check Out The Best Sellers In Knitting & Crochet Your embroidery can dress up any cardigan, sweater or vest and be as diverse as “Home Cooking” momentos, stylized flowers, decorating the ever popular holiday sweater or personalizing a simple sweater with a huge initial!Īlthough a duplicate stitch design can be quite elaborate, it can also be quick and simple – as simple as adding a large initial letter to your stocking stitch canvas. Transform plain sweater fabric into a unique and extraordinary sweater. Learn duplicate stitching ( also known as Swiss Darning) and turn any stockinet stitch knitwear into a canvas. The initial on the original sweater was knit-in using the Intarsia technique but why not add it using the duplicate stitch technique after the knitting is completed and before you assemble the sweater? Duplicate Stitching How To: Duplicate Stitch “Initials” For Personalized Sweatersĭecorating Sweaters With Duplicate Stitchĭuplicate stitching is a quick and easy way to embellish a plain sweater or maybe personalize a certain sweater for your favorite wizard.

