GRAFTING GARTER

QI am confident when it comes to grafting stocking stitch, but can you show me how to use Kitchener stitch to graft together two pieces of garter stitch? Sam Harris, via letter

Of course we can! 1 Hold your work with both needle tips pointing towards the right, making sure that the purl bumps are directly under the needles (as you have just worked a knit row). Your working yarn should be on the right-hand side as you look at your work, towards the tips of the needles. Cut a long tail, leaving enough yarn to graft the stitches together. Thread this tail through a blunt sewing needle. Insert the sewing needle through the first stitch on the front needle, purlwise, and pull it all the way through. Leave this stitch on the knitting needle.

2 Insert the sewing needle through the first stitch on the back needle now, purlwise, and pull it all the way through. Leave this stitch on the knitting needle.

3 Insert the sewing needle through the first stitch on the front needle, knitwise, and pull it all the way through. Remove this stitch from the knitting needle. Insert the sewing needle through the next stitch on the front needle, purlwise, and pull it all the way through. Leave this stitch on the needle.

4 Insert the sewing needle through the first stitch on the back needle, kwise, and pull it all the way through. Remove this stitch from the knitting needle. Insert the sewing needle through the next stitch on the back needle, pwise, and pull it all the way through. Leave this stitch on the knitting needle.

5 Repeat Steps 3 to 4 until all stitches have been grafted together, working the last two stitches on each needle as one stitch (to prevent a bumpy end). Gently pull the yarn tail to neaten stitches and weave in ends.

6 You have a invisible, seamless join. Rachael