Whether you knit a sweater, socks, handbag, toy or any other item, you can personalize it or decorate it with duplicate stitch. You don't have to be an experienced knitter to accomplish this.

Duplicate Stitch simply means covering existing stitches with a different coloured yarn to create a picture, monograms, or words. Imagine drawing a picture and then going over parts of it with a different coloured pen to create a nicer picture. It looks like embroidery but is actually knit.

You can follow a chart or you can make your own using graph paper. Each square represents one stitch. Be creative!

Duplicate stitch can be removed if you wish and a new picture created. Be careful however as the colour may have faded and the colour under the stitches may look darker. If not, you can remove the stitches and put a new picture on. This is great for children's garments.

When you have finished knitting, put away your knitting needles and bring out a darning needle. Use the same size yarn of a different colour. If you have knit your article with 4-ply worsted yarn, use the same type of yarn so that your stitches are covered evenly.

Thread the needle with the yarn. Remember, too much yarn means tangles, too little yarn means you tie more knots.

Working from right to left, pull the needle through the bottom of the first stitch you wish to cover (and top of the stitch underneath), insert it right to left through both loops of the stitch above and pull gently. You will now see the right side of the stitch covered. Bring the needle down and through the same place as your beginning stitch. You now have one stitch covered.

Don't pull too tightly or you will have a crumple. Don't leave too loose or your stitches will hang. Keep your tension the same as the knitted article. This will take practice.

To make vertical stitches, insert the needle through the stitch above the original stitch and repeat.

To make horizontal stitches, insert the needle through the stitch to the left of the original stitch and repeat.

Attach the loose ends by knitting into the back of a stitch and cut ends.

Here are some examples of small motifs taken from an antique pattern book.
Remember, knitting stitches are taller than they are wide so the larger the motif the more noticeable this will be.