I’m trying to join my shoulder seams neatly with a mattress stitch. It’s two cast off edges that are staged.
I feel the seam is too bulky for a baby and is going to rub on the shoulders. It’s 100% cotton dk yarn.
What do you advise for this seam please?
Hello
Perhaps try a horizontal invisible seam instead of mattress stitch. Here’s a step by step guide, scroll down to find it, the one that says it’s good for shoulders.
It is still a seam so there is a line of selvedgedge ‘bulk’ inside but it is not so firm and hard as mattress stitch, the seam in overall softer and flexible.
I make each stitch the same size as my knit stitches as I put each in, I don’t do them large then pull, them tight after. It’s like grafting or duplicate stitch in the way it is made.
So cute!
If you don’t mind taking out the cast off row, a three needle bind off gives a flatter seam. You can even work it with the wrong sides together so that the seam shows as a neat, decorative line at the shoulders. No bulk on the inside that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph93jWSzTa0
Thanks for your reply. This stitch seems very similar to what I thought was mattress stitch but maybe leaving it a bit looser. I could try again with a looser stitch.
Thank you.
I saw something similar to this but with a slip stitch using a crochet hook which looked quite neat. I don’t really want to undo the cast off but if all else fails I’ll try this method.
All the videos I’ve seen are on flat shoulders but mine is cast off over three rows so not straight.
Do you have a link to the slip stitch crochet method you saw? I have used something with the same name, worked from the wrong side rather than the right side and it makes a seam I really like, stretchy width-wise and more flexible than mattress stitch but the seam inside is a little bulkier than mattress stitch. I liked it as it lines the stitches up perfectly (especially rib), no leaning, but as I say it’s a bit more bulk inside rather than less. I am wondering if you have seen the same, or a different method and interested to see what is was.
You might want to search for the Bickford seam method which creates absolutely no bulk inside or outside a knitted garment seam.
I think it’s the last example. 
Hi. The Bickford seam looks neat. I’ll see if I can find a video to demonstrate it on a shoulder seam. Thanks.
I’m not sure the Bickford seam is possible on a horizontal seam. I could be wrong.
Here’s a rox video whih includes a mattress stitch on a staged step or sloped bind off, shaped as you have in yours. Possibly the tutorial on how to work the mattress stitch in that seam will give you a result you are happier with, but it is true it is bulky.
Here’s a rox video for a fake graft which is what I was trying to explain and failed at. It’s softer and more flexible than the rigid mattress seam but there is still, the structure of a seam keeping the knitting in shape. Basically the same amount of bulk inside but much softer and more flexible. I like this seam.
With a baby item I don’t think the structure is as vital, there is not the weight of fabric pulling down on the shoulder seam that an adult piece has, so perhaps you would prefer grafting live stitches. That means undoing the bind off (which i see you ont really want o do but it would give a flat flexible fabric exactly the same as the rest of he knitting so it could sway you depending on your priorities) and undoing the rows of stepped bind off and instead of binding off the number of stitches each row, saving them to stitch holders to graft once the shaping is complete.
Thanks for the link for the crochet slip stitch seam. It is exactly the method I have used, just a different tutorial. This seam is very nice it is so much softer and more flexible than mattress stitch without a hard rigid seam inside however the seam bulk is actually more, not less, than mattress stitch.
With mattress stitch the seam yarn is pulled straight/tight, 1 extra piece of yarn through the piece in the shortest distance possible and often the yarn strand is pulled out of shape thinning it too. Very little added.
With the crochet slip stitch seam a lot more yarn is used and all the way along the seam there is the “extra” yarn making the slip stitches. Adding far more yarn into the seam. Don’t get me wrong I love this seam, it can feel less bulky due to being much softer and flexible but the reality is there is more yarn and bulk.
Maybe it’s time to try out few options on swatches.
Thank you very much for all your support.
I’ll have a good look at it all later but you are right, swatches are definitely the way to go.
Hi. Just to let you know how I got on. I combined the two videos and did a fake bind off combining the sloped shoulder edge and I’m happy with the way it’s come out Much flatter and although I can see the step this will be covered by the collar of the garment. Thanks for all your help.
Can’t see you pic yet but glad to hear you have a solution which you are happy with.
Edited to add - I can see it now. Very neat both inside and out.
Very nice, flat seam. The worst thing is to annoy the baby. You’ve solved it neatly.
Aww thank you. Not perfect but heaps better than it was! Every project I learn something new. This site is brilliant.
Thanks to everyone for your continued help 
