I'm putting together a cardigan made of variegated yarn...the colors range from yellow to purple to magenta to mossy greens. Using the ladder stitch, I'm having a problem with the yarn showing...the lighter color shows up on the darker ones and vice versa. Anyone know how to sew the seams as invisibly as possible? Thanks for any ideas...

What is the stitch pattern for the cardigan? That will determine which is the best seaming technique. If it is stockinette, the mattress stitch should be completely invisible when the yarn is pulled tight. If you check the archived On Your Way to the Masters articles in this website, there are three articles on seaming which might help.

Arenda

Thanks, Arenda...it's garter stitch knitted in mitered squares.

When sewing up depending on how you do it---remember you don't have to use yarn that the sweater was knitted in. You could use a light color yarn or even an embroidery thread. The mattress stitch is easy to learn and use, plus it will not show up on the right side.

Hi Mothra,

I just sewed up some garter-stitch mitered squares, and I used a version of the mattress stitch. It was somewhat different from the directions you usually see for mattress stitch because of the mitering--sort of hard to describe, but I can try.

I still put the needle in and out on the same side before I moved to the other side, but I wasn't always scooping up a running thread; sometimes I was scooping a couple of crossed threads between stitches instead. I just tried to keep the "scoops" close to the edges and as consistent in placement as possible.

When I pulled the seaming yarn tight, it turned the edges under and hid the thread, just like in regular mattress stitch.

It took me a couple of false starts (not surprising for me), but eventually I got myself into pattern.

Hope that helps a little.

Mary

I find that in joining garter stitch, it makes a nicer seam to go from purl bump to purl bump and to ignore the knit loops.