Grafting

I always found even found the word grafting a bit scary. Something that very experienced sock-knitters knew how to do, but I did not. 

But I recently learned how to graft, and now I just love it. So although I realise that for many this post is really teaching your grandma to suck eggs, if nothing else this is a reminder for me about this technique. The result of grafting is so neat, and once you have done it once or twice you will soon remember the stitching pattern.

Grafting is sometimes called Kitchener's stitch, and is a way of joining two end rows of stitches so you have an invisible seam. Named after Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, British military hero of Boer War and WW I. His design to make socks with more comfortable toes for the troops, today has been generally adopted.

To graft the bottom of my iphone cosy, divide the stitches between two needles, and arrange so your needles are together in your left hand, with the points at the same end, and the wrong side of the cosy is on the inside.

Thread a large needle with a length of your wool. You can use the wool from your last row of knitting.

1. Pass the wool knitwise through the first stitch on the front needle and pulling the wool through, slip the stitch off the needle. 

2. Pass the wool needle purlwise through the second stitch on the front needle, and pull through, leaving this stitch on the needle. 

3. Pass purlwise through the first stitch on the back knitting needle and slip the stitch off the needle.

4. Then pass the wool knitwise through the second stitch on the same needle, leaving this stitch on the needle. 

Repeat these four stages until you reach your last two stitches, where you will just do stage 1 and 3.

And there you have it. A beautifully smooth grafted bottom to your work. 

This tutorial will stay permanently in the knitting tips area in my right sidebar.