grafting in k2p2 pattern

Jeannette · 11-09-2005, 11:08 AM

I am knitting a scarf that needs to be joined, or grafted in the center. I am woking the pattern in a rib stitch of K2P2. How can I work the kitchener stitch in this pattern?

amy · 11-10-2005, 12:42 AM

Hi Jeanette, welcome!!

First, you should know that the only way you'll have perfection with this, is if you're grafting the top of knitting to the bottom of knitting. (That is, if you've exposed live stitches on the bottom edge somehow, for instance with a provisional cast-on, or by cutting out a row of stitches and exposing the work that way.) If you're grafting two tops together in ribbing, they'll be shifted 1/2 stitch relative to each other, and you'll see that the virtical grain of the ribbing doesn't match up, so it won't be perfect. In that case, just follow the instructions in the first quote, and ignore the rest of my specifications, which are about achieving a perfectly seamless join.

Perfection on this can be complicated, so be warned! I've found this to be challenging and fussy myself. In figuring this out, I had to actually break the rules I read in a book, and change the pattern for it to work out. The book didn't address certain factors, so I was left to my own devices, and I only add my ammendments here because they can be paired with the additional information that is needed to go forth with confidence. Perhaps some brilliant person can work out how to follow her instructions as they are, and achieve perfection (anyone? I'd be grateful!), but in the mean time, I'll tell you my alterations. So I'm first going to quote the book in it's integrity, assuming she's the expert in it, and then quote it again, adding my modifications which I found I needed to make it work.

The quote is from the Principals of Knitting. "Near" refers to the knitting needle closest to you, "Far" is the other needle. Watch my kitchener video if you haven't already. It's a bit confusing at first, but similar enough to how I explain it in the video, that hopefully the instructions are clear. I like her original instructions, because basically, you're doing plain kitchener stitch on the knit stitches, and reversing them for purl stitches.

Quote:

...Here we must have eight steps: one for each needle when the two stitches to be worked on are both knit; a pair for when they are a knit stitch, then a purl stitch; a pair for when they are both purl; and a pair for when they are a purl stitch, then a knit stitch. I will assume that the Double Rib sequence starts with a pair of Knit stitches.

Preliminary step: Near/Purl, far/Knit (same as usual)
1. Near on two Knit: Knit/drop, Purl
2. Far on two knit: Purl/drop, Knit
3. Near on one Knit, one Purl: Knit/drop, knit
4. Far on one Knit, one Purl: Purl/drop, purl
5. Near on two Purl: Purl/drop, Knit
6. Far on two Purl: knit/drop, Purl
7. Near on one Purl, On knit: Purl/drop, Purl
8. Far on one Purl, one Knit: Knit/drop, Knit

The missing info, was that when you're including the "bottom" of work (live stitches exposed on the bottom of knitting), the stitches you put on the needle from the ribbing are actually the strands between the original stitches, and are offset by 1/2 stitch. (It fixes itself once you've grafted, but it's confusing at this stage!) So, holding these exposed bottom stitches above the exposed top stitches of the piece your grafting to, you have to then decide whether you need to shift the top piece to the left or right relative to the bottom piece before beginning. I found it necessary to shift to the right, so that the first stitch you're working of the exposed bottom stitches, is actually the strand between the two knit stitches. These stitches are used as the ones on the far needle. I had to alter the pattern in two places to make it work, but then it worked perfectly:

Quote:

(my alterations are in red)
Preliminary step: Near/Purl, far/Knit (same as usual)
1. Near on two Knit: Knit/drop, Purl
2. Far on two knit: Purl/drop, Knit
3. Near on one Knit, one Purl: Knit/drop, knit
4. Far on one Knit, one Purl: Knit/drop, purl
5. Near on two Purl: Purl/drop, Knit
6. Far on two Purl: knit/drop, Purl
7. Near on one Purl, On knit: Purl/drop, Purl
8. Far on one Purl, one Knit: Purl/drop, Knit

Sorry I can't give you an easier answer on this one!

Jeannette · 11-10-2005, 01:06 PM

Amy,
Thank you for answering my post. I have printed out your directions and will give it a go. I'll let you know how it works out.

Jeannette · 11-12-2005, 12:22 PM

Amy,
I see what you mean about the pattern shifting. It is all very confusing to me. Do you have a plan to make a video about this pattern in the future for the web site? It would be nice to see it done properly

rebecca · 11-12-2005, 12:43 PM

LOL, thanks, Jeannette, I was about to ask the very same thing! Amy, that would be the very BEST VIDEO online!!!

Jeannette · 11-15-2005, 04:23 PM

ok, here is what I decided to do and it came out ok. I took my K2,P2 ribbing on the needle and knit a single row across on both ends of the scarf where it needed to be attached. Then I did the kitchener stitch. I think with the next scarf, I will try one row of K on only one needle and see how that looks. Oh, I was working on size 6 needles and the single row of K was done with size 3. I may try a smaller size too.

would you like to see a picture of the join?