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Welcome to Page 6!
You're almost finished! For this last part, remove from your mind any preconceived notions that Kitchener stitch is hard, that you can't do it, that you have to be some kind of knitting genius to graft toes ... trust me, (heh heh heh) it's really easy.
Any good knitting resource book, and even several of the popular knitting magazines, will have instructions on how to graft stitches. Sometimes it's called "Kitchener" stitching, sometimes it's called "weaving". What you are doing is weaving your yarn in and out, back and forth, through stitches from two sets of needles. The result is a virtually undetectable seam. In fact, it looks like you have no seam at all, as the woven stitches, when done in this manner, blend into the knit stitches.
A couple of helpful hints:
One: read through the grafting instructions a couple of times before even picking up those needles!
Two: do *not* try to do this while watching tv/movies, while your husband is talking, and make sure the dog is fed so you won't be interrupted! I find a nice quiet, well-lighted place and close the door until I'm done grafting. It's not hard, but you do need to concentrate!
First I will type out the step by step instructions:
To start, have your stitches on the two needles, break the working yarn, leaving a fairly long end (about 18 inches). Thread the yarn through your blunt-end tapestry or yarn needle. The yarn should be coming from the first stitch on your back needle.
I will refer to them as "front needle" and "back needle" as shown in the photo below.
To set it up, start: insert the threaded needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl; leave on needle.
Now these next rows are repeated across the length of stitches waiting on your two dp needles: Keeping yarn under points of needles (important), proceed:
- insert yarn needle into first stitch on back needle "as if to purl"; slip off needle. Pull up yarn (but not too tight);
- insert yarn needle through next stitch on back needle "as if to knit", leave on needle;
- insert needle through first front stitch "as if to knit", slip off needle;
- insert needle through next front stitch "as if to purl", leave on needle. Pull up yarn. Repeat across until all stitches have been grafted.
Here are some photos showing the different ways you work the stitches:
"as if to purl" on front needle "as if to knit" on front needle "as if to purl" on back needle Close-up view of the completed toe. Neat, huh?! Click here to see a big photo of the finished sock!
Copyright © 2000 by Terri Lee Royea. All Rights Reserved. Images, text and html coding belong to the author. These pages are intended for your own personal use and may be distributed FREELY as long as proper attribution is made.
