Grafting in pattern - Photo tutorial
Solène Le Roux
Grafting (also called kitchener stitch) is a technique used to join two pieces of knitting without any seam by joining together the live stitches of each piece.
It is very useful for cowls and headbands knitted flat and started with a provisional cast on because it will make them look perfectly seamless and the pattern will match.
Instructions for grafting in stockinette stitch
Put your two needle in a parallel position, with both tips in the same direction and the wrong side facing inwards.
Cut yarn leaving a very long thread and insert a yarn needle.
Set-up: Thread the yarn into the 1st stitch of the 1st needle as if to purl, then into the 1st stitch of the 2nd needle as if to knit.
Step 1 (Needle 1): Insert the yarn needle into the first stitch as if to knit and slip it off the needle, then thread the yarn into the 2nd stitch as if to purl.
Step 2 (Needle 2) : Insert the yarn needle into the first stitch as if to purl and slip it off the needle, then thread the yarn into the 2nd stitch as if to knit.
Repeat those two steps until you have only one stitch left on each needle.
Finishing : Insert the yarn needle into the last stitch of needle 1 as if to knit and slip it off the needle, then in the last stitch of needle 2 af if to purl and slip it off the needle.
Grafting in pattern - Written memo
When your piece of knitting is not made of stockinette or garter stitch, you need to make the pattern match by grafting alternately knitwise and purlwise depending on your stitch pattern.
To graft in pattern, you need to always be aware of what your next 2 stitches are.
If they are 2 knit stitches:
Needle 1: Sl1 off knitwise, thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off purlwise, thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
If they are 1 knit stitch and 1 purl stitch:
Needle 1: Sl1 off knitwise, thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off knitwise, thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
If they are 2 purl stitches:
Needle 1: Sl1 off purlwise, thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off knitwise, thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
If they are 1 purl stitch and 1 knit stitch:
Needle 1: Sl1 off purlwise, thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off purlwise, thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
Grafting in pattern - Photo-tutorial
For this tutorial, you need 2 pieces to graft (or one large piece of knitting with 2 ends to graft if you did a provisionnal cast-on). I used a different thread and a different color of yarn for this tutorial but you should use the same color as your work so the seam is completely invisible.
I made 2 similar samples to graft, with knit and purl stitches and 2 small cables to show you how the pattern matches after grafting.
Put your two needle in a parallel position, with both tips in the same direction and the wrong side facing inwards.
SET-UP (KNIT STITCH)
Note : If your first stitch is a purl stitch, do the exact opposite (Needle 1 knitwise, Needle 2 purlwise)
Needle 1: Thread the yarn purlwise into the stitch
Needle 2: Thread the yarn knitwise into the stitch
FOR 2 FOLLOWING KNIT STITCHES
Needle 1: Sl1 off knitwise,
thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2 : Sl1 off purlwise,
thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
FOR 1 KNIT STITCH AND 1 PURL STITCH
Needle 1: Sl1 off knitwise,
thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off knitwise,
thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
FOR 2 FOLLOWING PURL STITCHES
Needle 1: Sl1 off purlwise,
thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off knitwise,
thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
FOR 1 PURL STITCH AND 1 KNIT STITCH
Needle 1: Sl1 off purlwise,
thread the yarn purlwise into the 2nd stitch.
Needle 2: Sl1 off purlwise,
thread the yarn knitwise into the 2nd stitch.
As you can see, apart from the color difference, the pattern matches perfectly!
