Friday Finishing Part Eleven

Today’s topic for Friday Finishing is Kitchener Grafting in Garter.

Here is a video tutorial I made on working the Kitchener Graft in Garter:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWhWyzdyIf4]

This method ONLY works on garter stitch fabric. The resulting grafted row will be a hybrid row of knit stitches below and purl stitches above.

You must end your knitting in a specific way before you can graft garter stitch. One piece must end with a knit row presenting on the RS, and the other piece must end with a purl row presenting on the RS. (So, end one piece having worked a RS knit row, and one piece having worked a WS knit row.)

Then, the steps for working Kitchener Stitch in Garter are:

1. Position the work with the wrong sides facing each other. You may begin on either the front or the back needle.
2. Work the set up step on needle 1. (Purl and leave on.)
3. Work the set up step on needle 2. (Purl and leave on.)
4. Needle 1 again, work ‘knit off, purl on’.
5. Needle 2, work ‘knit off, purl on’.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have one stitch left on each needle.
7. Work ‘knit off’ on needle 1.
8. Work ‘knit off’ on needle 2.

The keys to working this graft well are:

1.  You must have the same number of stitches on each needle.
2. Keep the tapestry needle and yarn UNDER the knitting needles throughout the process.
3. Work loosely as you go across.
4. After you have worked the graft, tighten up across the row to get the graft at the same tension as the rest of the knitting.

Next week we’ll switch seaming techniques and cover working a horizontal to vertical seam.

Until then, Happy Knitting!