How to Graft Lace Knitting
Grafting is a technique that joins two sets of "live" stitches together. Live stitches are stitches that are still on your knitting needles and have not yet been cast off. The kitchener stitch is a method of grafting that produces a seamless join between two sets of stitches. A seamless join is beneficial in lace knitting because the intricate lace pattern is uninterrupted by the graft. This technique may take some practice to master, but is a valuable skill to have in your knitting repertoire, as it can be applied to nearly every type of knitting.
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Instructions
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1
Hold the two pieces of knitting that are to be grafted parallel to each other. Each needle or stitch holder that the knitting rests on should contain a row of live stitches.
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2
Thread the tapestry needle with a length of yarn. The yarn should be the same yarn you used to knit the piece of lace.
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3
Slide the needle through the first stitch on the knitting needle closest to you. Slide the needle through the stitch as if you were going to purl it. Pull the yarn through the stitch, but leave the stitch on the knitting needle.
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4
Bring the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the second knitting needle as if you were going to knit the stitch. Pull the tapestry needle through the stitch, but leave the stitch on the knitting needle.
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5
Slide the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the knitting needle closest to you as if you were going to knit the stitch. After pulling the yarn through the stitch, slide the stitch off of the knitting needle.
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6
Weave the tapestry needle into the next stitch on the needle closest to you. This stitch was formerly the second stitch on the knitting needle, but is now the first. Slide it into the stitch as though to purl. Leave this stitch on the knitting needle.
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7
Bring the tapestry needle through the first stitch on the second needle as if to purl. Pull the yarn tight and slide this stitch off the knitting needle.
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8
Slide the tapestry needle through the next stitch on the second needle as if to knit. This stitch was previously the second stitch on the knitting needle but is now the first. Leave the stitch on the knitting needle after weaving the yarn through it.
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9
Repeat steps five through eight until all of your stitches have been grafted. Weave in the ends of the yarn to finish your project, securing them so that they cannot unravel or come undone.
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Tips & Warnings
Grafting seems daunting at first, and it can be tough to keep track of the order in which you should weave the tapestry needle through your knitting. After the initial setup of the kitchener stitch, the pattern is "knit knit, purl purl, knit" for the method of entry of the tapestry needle, alternating stitches from each knitting needle with every word.
If you feel uncomfortable grafting lace on your first few attempts, you can utilize what is known as a "lifeline". This trick allows you to undo your grafting and pick up the stitches without effort. Thread a length of contrasting yarn onto your tapestry needle, and slide it through one side of your lace knitting. Do this for the second piece of knitting to be grafted as well. Let the edges of the yarn dangle out of the way. If you need to undo your grafting stitches, the stitches will still remain on the contrasting pieces of yarn, available for you to pick up with your needles again.
