Most of my patterns are completely seamless, so no need for a tapestry needle, really – except for weaving in and occasional end, of course (I don’t bother weaving in ends that hang at the wrong side and don’t stick out – sshht, don’t tell anyone). But still, it is good to know how to graft two pieces together. Grafting joins two pieces with the stitches still on the needle aka ‘live’ stitches. It doesn’t have the bulkiness of a sewn seam and it looks seamless. It creates a row of knit stitches (see the yellow stitches).
The kitchener stitch can be used to close the toe of a sock, to close the shoulder seam of a garment worked bottom up or as a tubular bind off that matches a tubular cast on. The pictures in this tutorial show the latter.
You might notice that the ribbing in the photos is a 2/2 rib and the kitchener stitch is usually used on a 1/1 rib. Here is a great way to go from a 2/2 rib to a 1/1 rib. It’s genius.
I didn’t really drop the stitch (too scary) but placed it on a cable needle and held the cable needle in front.
Lets’ go:
KITCHENER STITCH aka GRAFTING
Half the stitches should be on one needle and the other half on another needle. (If you are working a tubular bind off, slip all the knit stitches to one needle (front needle) and all the purl stitches on another needle (back needle).
Cut the yarn at about twice the length of the edge that needs to be grafted. Thread the yarn through a tapestry needle.
THE FIRST STITCH
Insert the tapestry needle Then insert the needle into
into the first stitch of the the first stitch on the back
front needle as if to purl needle as if to knit (from front
(from back to front) and to back) and pull the yarn
pull it through. through
THE FOLLOWING STITCHES
The following steps will be repeated for all stitches.
FRONT NEEDLE
Go through the first stitch on Drop the stitch off the Go through the next
the front needle as if to knit front needle stitch as if to purl (back to
(front to back) front)
BACK NEEDLE
Go through the first stitch on Drop the stitch off the Go through the next
the back needle as if to purl. back needle. stitch as if to knit.
Repeat these 6 steps until only 1 stitch is left on the front needle and 1 on the back needle. Go through the stitch on the front needle as if to knit, drop it, go through the stitch on the back needle as if to purl, drop it and weave in the end.
Once you have worked a few stitches you will get in the rhythm:
front needle: knitwise, drop, purlwise
back needle: purlwise, drop, knitwise
IMPORTANT (if you are like me 😉
If ‘as if to knit’ or ‘knitwise’ and ‘as if to purl’ or ‘purlwise’ makes your head spin, try to think of it this way.
Insert the needle in the first stitch always inwards, and in the second stitch outwards, no matter if it is the front or the back needle – except for the preparatory step with the very first stitch: see on top.
And the song goes like this:
front: inwards, drop, outwards
back: inwards, drop, outwards
inwards, drop, outwards
inwards, drop, outwards
inwards, drop, outwards
inwards, drop, outwards
in, drop, out
in, drop, out
…
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ALFAKNITS 