Technique Tuesday - January 06, 2015

Technique Tuesday: Grafting Garter Stitch

Garter Stitch is a knit row of stitches worked on every row of the work, as you can see on the diagram below this creates loops around the V’s first to the WS and then to the RS of the work. Garter stitch can also be grafted and is similar to Stockinette stitch grafting with one small but crucial difference; when looking at the grafting laid flat we can see that the upper V has a loop that travels in front of it instead of behind it as in St st.

Grafting Garter Stitch

To work a grafted join on garter stitch the front needle needs to have a row of purl bumps against the needle and the back needle needs to have knit stitches up against the needle. This means that the front needle just worked a WS row with RS facing you, and the back needle just worked a WS with the WS facing the WS of the front needle.

Step 1: Thread tapestry needle with yarn and insert through first stitch on front needle as if to purl,
Step 2: Insert tapestry needle through first stitch on back needle as if to purl, leaving both stitches on the needles.
Step 3: Insert tapestry needle through first stitch on front needle as if to knit and slip it off the needle, go through second stitch as if to purl and leave it on.
Step 4: Insert tapestry needle through first stitch on back needle as if to knit and slip it off the needle, go through second stitch as if to purl and leave it on.

Rep Steps 3-4 for pattern. This pattern is knit, off, purl for both needles.

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