ON YOUR WAY TO THE MASTERS

SUCCESSFUL KITCHENER’S GRAFTING

by Leslie Gonzalez

Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, served in the British Military during the Boer Wars and WWI. He is best known by non-knitters for his distinctive mustache and recruiting posters. But in the world, he is most famous for his innovative sock design which included a squarish ‘‘grawfted’’ toe.

This seamless toe made socks more Kitchener’s grafting is a sewing technique Unlike seaming or three needle bind off, comfortable for troops to wear. His grafting that creates a stitch-to-stitch join between Kitchener’s grafting leaves no bulk and technique is still used today and is known as two pieces of . The technique is maintains the integrity of the stitch pattern. Kitchener’s Stitch. usually worked on live stitches and creates a However, seaming and three needle bind off weave that replicates knit and purl stitches. will provide a more stable and supportive Kitchener’s Stitch or grafting is a skill required join. at Level 2 of the Master Pros and Cons Program. The technique is demonstrated The choice to use Kitchener’s grafting over When choosing a joining technique, you as a swatch and then confirmed in the sock either seaming or three needle bind off will will need to consider the weight of the fabric project. depend on the circumstances of the join. being supported by the join and where the

70 Cast On • February – April 2012 join will be located when worn. Sock toes Hold the knitting needles parallel, with points When moving between knitting needles, bring and mitten tops are often grafted because facing to the right and with wrong sides of the the grafting under the needles to avoid the seamless join is more comfortable to fabric facing each other. confusing it with the stitches being worked. wear. Grafting shoulders on lightweight garments allows for shaping and Preliminary Steps Maintain even tension as you work. If you less bulk at the shoulder. Grafting garments 1. Pass the tapestry needle through the first find there are loose areas, use the tapestry that have been worked side to side maintains stitch on the front needle, as if to purl. needle to ease the excess yarn toward the left the stitch pattern. Because the join is visible, Leave the stitch on the needle. edge while in progress and from the center the technique may not work well with some 2. Pass the tapestry needle through the first outwards toward either edge once the graft is . Weak, delicate, uneven and fuzzy yarns stitch on the back needle, as if to knit. Leave complete. may not create an attractive connection. the stitch on the needle. Beyond Stockinette Tools Grafting Steps Kitchener’s grafting is a handy skill. It can be • Usually, the two pieces being grafted will 1. Pass the tapestry needle through the first worked on reverse Stockinette, Garter stitch be left on the knitting needles they were stitch on the front needle as if to knit. and both single and double . Keep in worked on. Remove the stitch from the needle. mind that the grafting sequence is different • A blunt tapestry needle is needed to work 2. Pass the tapestry needle through the next for these stitch patterns. Grafting can be done the graft. stitch on the front needle as if to purl. between live stitches and a bound off edge • Use yarn from the project (or contrast yarn Leave this stitch on the needle. or a selvedge. Two selvedges can be grafted. for the swatch) that measures three times 3. Pass the tapestry needle through the first Grafting can also be used to form a or the width of the stitches plus six to eight stitch on the back needle as if to purl. attach a patch pocket. Kitchener’s stitch is also inches extra for in. The yarn may Remove this stitch from the needle. the basis for tubular bind off, a requirement be connected to one of the pieces. 4. Pass the tapestry needle through the next in Level 3 of the Master’s program. To stitch on the back needle as if to knit. Leave learn more about other types and uses for Lining Up the Fabric this stitch on the needle. Kitchener’s grafting consult the resources The Master’s program asks for Kitchener’s listed. stitch to be demonstrated on Stockinette fabric. Repeat steps 1-4 until one stitch remains on Both pieces should have the same number of both the front and back needles. Resources stitches. When the two pieces are lined up, Lord Kitchener. G. K. Chesterton, London. they will be offset by one-half stitch. The Final Steps The Field & Queen (Horace Cox) Ltd., 1917. preliminary step described below will correct 1. Pass the tapestry needle through the stitch Project Gutenberg. April 15, 2011. http:// for this problem. on the front needle as if to knit. Remove the www.gutenberg.org/files/25795/25795-h/ stitch from the needle. 25795-h.htm There are two ways to orient the pieces to 2. Pass the tapestry needle through the stitch The Principles of Knitting. June Hiatt be worked. They can be taken off the needles on the back needle as if to purl. Remove the Hemmons. New York. Simon and Schuster, and laid on a table with the stitches to be stitch from the needle. 1988. joined facing each other. More commonly, 3. Bring the tapestry needle through the side The Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques. the stitches are left on the knitting needles. of the last grafted stitch from the outside Nancie M. Wiseman. Woodinville, WA. The two needles are held one in front of toward the inside of the work. Then bring Martingale and Company, 2002. the other with the wrong sides of the fabric the needle through the loop of yarn you facing each other. The directions below are have just formed at the edge and tighten. for grafting while the work is still on the knitting needles. Keeping Things Organized and Avoiding Pitfalls Swatch 1 The sock in Level 2 requires you to work Keep in mind that it is easy to lose your with yarn from the project. To work with the place, so try to work the entire section in one yarn from the project, the yarn must originate sitting and in a place where there will be no from the first stitch on either the front or back distractions. needle. The example (swatch 1) should be worked using a separate contrasting yarn. I teach my students to keep in mind two things to help them remember when stitches Working the Graft on Stockinette Fabric should be removed and the order to work When discussing the process of sewing the the sequence. First, no stitch may be removed graft, the words ‘‘as if to knit’’ and ‘‘as if to until it has been worked twice. Second, purl’’ are used. These terms describe the during the grafting phase, work the first two direction that the tapestry needle is threaded stitches on the front needle then the first two through the stitches on the knitting needles. stitches on the back needle. To remember the orientation of the tapestry needle repeat To begin, thread the yarn through the tapestry to yourself: “Knit, purl; Purl, knit”. (Front needle. needle: “Knit, purl” Back needle: “Purl, knit”)

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