Classic Kettling (Linking) of a Finished Edge with an Additional Facing

Join new working yarn to the top left edge of the zipper opening and, using 2.5 mm [US1.5] needles and working from the top towards the bottom edge, pick up and knit stitches at a rate of 3 sts picked up from every 4 rows along the edge of the zipper opening. Work 5 rows in stockinette stitch for the facing.

You now have on your needles the narrow inner foldover part, which will be kettle-linked to the Body of the garment during the next working step.

Then, using a crochet hook, join the layers — the live stitches on the needle will be joined with the first row of the facing:

Keep the stitches of the facing on the needle (these don’t need to be bound off).

Use a crochet hook in a size slightly smaller than the size of the knitting needles used for the Body of the garment.

Insert the crochet hook into a stitch in the first row of the facing (which is located at the base, directly above the cast-on edge).

Then, insert the crochet hook into the first stitch on the knitting needle (the one closer to the edge).

Grasp the working yarn coming from the skein, and pull it through both stitches at once.

One loop remains on the crochet hook.

Insert the crochet hook into the next stitch of the first row, after this, insert the needle into the next stitch on the knitting needle.

Grasp the working yarn, and pull it through both stitches at once, аnd after that, through the loop on the crochet hook, to establish the linking chain.

Repeat these steps across the whole row.

At the end of the row, pull the working yarn through the last loop on the crochet hook, gently tug to secure, and hide the tail on the wrong side, using a tapestry needle to retrace the stitches in the knitted fabric.

Join new working yarn to the bottom right edge of the zipper opening, and, right side of work facing up, using 2.5 mm [US1.5] needles and working along the edge of the opening from bottom to top, pick up and knit stitches at a rate of 3 sts picked up from every 4 rows (the number of stitches picked up need to correspond to the number of stitches picked up for the left placket). Finish the facing the same way as previously done for the facing on the left half of the zipper opening.

As a result, you will have created a neat, even linking seam edge featuring:

on the right side of the garment — a clean joining line;

on the wrong side of the garment— a smooth, elastic foldover.