My hubby was in the hospital and I ended up with a pair of these bandage scissors. The tip is just wide enough to slip between the rows of stitching for chenille (tip is shaped like a shoe stretcher??) and the cutting tips are blunt . A little pricey on line, but I think you can find them in most medical equipment places.
http://www.scrubsandbeyond.com/Crown...ors-76399.html