How To
A Year of Techniques: Grafting in Garter Stitch!
We love A Year of Techniques so much. We hope you’re enjoying the journey toward increased cleverness. If you’re one for dipping in and out of organized education programs, this month’s project is particularly juicy, easy fun. Jump in. Lean in. Get in. C’mon!
Martina Behm’s brand-new pattern, the Wood Warbler Cowl, has no obvious beginning or end. Elegant. Clever. With pointy bits.
How does she achieve this infinite loop?
She grafts the beginning and end together in garter stitch.
Maybe you’ve had a shot at grafting stockinette stitch, also known as Kitchener stitch. This month’s technique is similar but not the same. Jen’s video up top explains exactly how to do garter stitch grafting.
Jen Arnall-Culliford, done with her cowl. Look at her glee!
This month’s project means we get to welcome the marvelous designer Martina Behm to MDK. Welcome, Martina! As eternal promoters of the joy of garter stitch, we applaud this clever pattern that takes garter stitch on a new and fascinating path.
Just received my hard copy of YoT yesterday and my Field Guide #4 – had fun last night!
Two-handed! One for each eyeball.
Isn’t that photo of Martina, not Jen?
That’s Jen, the fearless leader of A Year of Techniques, valiantly making us all feel clever.
This has arrived just in time for some epic Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/Soltice/CelebrateSomething knitting!
I’m thinking this could be THE ONE for the holiday gifting.
Great video. I could listen to Jen’s voice all day.
I designed a cowl for a customer who came into a store last year and used a garter Kitchner to create a seamless loop. One can also do a rib stitch (I had a customer come in and ask me how to graft her headband together). I’m glad to see others use this technique and – as always – Martina’s patterns are fabulous.
I love Jen’s tutorials! She is so calm and thoughtful as she teaches. Thank you for the introduction!
Martin’s designs are great – I love her Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy series of garter stitch- based shawlettes. I’ve got her Trillian on the needles right now.
Sorry, meant to read Martina (autocorrect, grrr….)
Excellent video tutorial – thanks, Jen! I certainly wish I had had this to refer to when I grafted the knit-to-knit ends of an 1898 earwarmer for the first time. It was a gift and I wanted it to look extra-nice. I did my best, but it was by guess and by golly, and I’m sure it would have been much better if I’d watched your video before attempting it. Next time! Thanks!
Here in the southern hemisphere we graft over two “provisional cast offs” and on the purl side. Being myself a combination knitter I am absolutely Kitchener-challenged! But I will try this technique, it looks….factible!
Great Video! As I watched it, I realised I’ve never seen a video of grafting before and after all those years of Kitchener, this amazingly clear explanation was all I needed to step up my game
And what a timing! I am just finishing the hood of a tomten jacket and need to graft in garter. Thank you for the year of techniques! You really know how to broaden a girls horizon