the blue blog archives: graft

Hoping to correct my colossal mistake as quickly as possible, I immediately cast on for the second piece of my recent disaster by dye lot design. I double and triple checked the dye lots, knit one ball and then set about separating the two sections of the first piece. First step, pick out the first row where I'd changed to the new ball.

Last step, graft. It was just that easy - no more challenging than closing up the toe on a sock - until I got to the purl ridges. None of my books explain how to switch from knits to purls when grafting. And as I'm not an intuitive knitter, or gifted with great spatial reasoning, I had to use trial and error to figure out the right rhythm.

posted by alison at 9:13 am | in design workshop

Comments

I have been knitting since I was a little girl...and I never knew people grafted their unfortunate mistakes. Man, I gotta get out more!

Posted by: Miz Booshay at June 1, 2006 9:15 AM

How frustrating! Also, feel free to post the directions to switch ffrom knit to purl when grafting, I'd love to know!

Posted by: Maggie at June 1, 2006 10:02 AM

Check out Montse Stanley - she talks about grafting purl stitches.

Posted by: kyla at June 1, 2006 10:03 AM

Maggie -- I posted what I worked out on my blog (http://woollymammoths.blogspot.com/) this last weekend when I was working on Rogue, so you can go look there. At least I believe it's correct, and seems to be as good as you can get when grafting the tops of two pieces of knitting together; if you're grafting the tops of things, the knitting must be a half-stitch off.

Posted by: Chialea at June 1, 2006 10:34 AM

Alison, Interweave Knits has a very good article on this in the subscriber section. All types of grafting, top to top, top to bottom (you case) and all kinds of ribbing. Good luck!

Posted by: betty at June 1, 2006 10:43 AM

amazing.......

Posted by: wendy at June 1, 2006 11:15 AM

Yeah! Way to hop back on that horse!

Posted by: Johanna at June 1, 2006 11:29 AM

Would it help to look at it from the other side, where it would be knit stitches? But, I know, then it's backwards.

Posted by: B. at June 1, 2006 12:34 PM

Very impressive!!! I have no ideas for the purl stitches, other than what has already been recommended. You are fearless!!

Posted by: gail at June 1, 2006 12:48 PM

ohhhhh - yes, that yellowy color...i see the dyelot change now! eeks. have fun grafting...

Posted by: ruth at June 1, 2006 1:24 PM

The stress of that would take anyone out.

Posted by: Chris at June 1, 2006 2:25 PM

What Chialea says has been my experience too. Knitting a lot of toe-up socks and using the tubular bind off, which is like the kitchner stitch I've learned that the first time through a knit stitch you purl, second time you knit. The first time through a purl stitch you knit, second time you purl.

happy grafting! ;o)

Posted by: Cheryl at June 1, 2006 2:28 PM

It might be too late for this, but my favorite grafting trick is to knit a few extra rows on each side in pattern in a contrasting yarn. Then, as you graft, you just follow the extra yarn, and pull it out when you're done.

Posted by: Joanna at June 1, 2006 2:45 PM

Seems to me you could do this like grafting ribbing. Do all the knits on this side. Flip it over and do the knits (former purls) on the other side.

Posted by: Charlotte at June 1, 2006 2:59 PM

Allison, The Yarn Harlot recommends that when you get to a purl stitch while grafting (kitchner stitch), to flip your work to the "wrong" side, and then continue grafting with the knit stitches on the wrong side. I haven't tried it, but it seemed to makes sense to me. Good luck, and the idea of grafting the two pieces together was a great idea!

Posted by: Irishclover at June 1, 2006 4:59 PM

Hmm, while I dont want to discourage you from finding out new tricks and skills, why not start a row further up and keep it all one stitch? Or would that be wimping out? ::smile::
Dawn

Posted by: Dawn at June 1, 2006 5:31 PM

Wow, I'm impressed! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Posted by: Susan at June 1, 2006 8:21 PM

While I am very impressed at your Macgyvering of your knitting, I think maybe you could have gotten away without it. This is still superamazing, though. SUPERamazing.

Posted by: elizabeth at June 1, 2006 11:28 PM

You are brave and strong.

Posted by: Susan at June 1, 2006 11:42 PM

Too bad I can't help, my biggest problem with Kitchener stitch is that it always purls! It seems to have something to do with where I put the needle in to knit the "bottom" stitches. Can't explain well, but it comes naturallly to me, even as I'm following the directions (really, I can knit)

Posted by: Patty at June 2, 2006 7:56 AM

Thanks for all the tips ladies. All I'd managed to find in books was grafting for a 1x1 rib, where you do all the knits together and then turn and do all the purls on the backside as knits. But in my wider rib that wouldn't really work.

Even with the general insight that I have to reverse the order of knitwise/purlwise when I've got a purl stitch instead of the usual knit stitches, I was having a problem "seeing" when to start the reversed sequence. You gotta get the new rib starting at exactly the same place, you know! And that was something I just had to work out for myself.

Dawn, wish I could have taken an easier way, but the ribs are throughout the whole piece, there is no section with just one stitch. I had to go and make things hard for myself!! ;0)

Posted by: alison at June 2, 2006 9:53 AM

Whoa!
You can do it all lady. I cannot get over your skill and determination.
You definitely never give up, never surrender.
I didn't even know what grafting was.
Eeek - just when I think I know how to knit...

Posted by: Michelle at June 3, 2006 3:03 AM

You're so brave! And perhaps a little bit crazy. ;)

Posted by: Sharon at June 4, 2006 6:18 AM