Are you afraid of grafting (aka Kitchener St)? Do you:
A) Avoid it.
B) Get a book out.
C) Say a mantra?

Forget all of the aforementioned and take command of all possible grafting situations without any risk of coming unraveled! From an easily removed provisional cast-on to the tips of your sock toes with the aid of waste yarn, we can handle it all. We'll discuss basic stitch-top to stitch-top grafting (shoulders)—where to begin, joining in new grafting yarn, how to follow waste yarn, and checking for errors. The pros and cons of grafted shoulders. Sock toes, use of the "toe chimney" to hold the stitches and prevent splitting. Neatening the toe for the best finish. We will study the difference between grafting stitches top to top (with consequent half-stitch discrepancy) or bottom to top for a perfect graft, and circumstances where this may be used. Perfect grafts to complete an "unbroken" circle of knitting containing a cable or knit/purl stitches, with an explanation of the trick of using a slippery yarn to simply disconnect the initial waste yarn from the beginning of the work. How to plan your knitting to permit a perfect graft.

Technique Requirements: knit/purl, cast on/bind off, increase/decrease, working in the round

To get the most out of this class, the following swatches will give plenty of opportunity to practice techniques.  The swatches are not large but detailed - please follow the directions carefully.  For all swatches use a light coloured, smooth (not fluffy or textured ) worsted weight wool yarn (approx 5sts/in) and 5 mm (US # 8) needles.  Waste yarn should be smooth, contrasting and of a similar weight - cotton is good choice. Ideally use the same Main and Waste yarns for each swatch.

MY: Main yarn.
WY: Waste yarn. 
K2t: Knit two stiches together.
Ssk: Slip the next two sts, knitwise, one at a time, to the right-hand needle, insert the left-hand needle into both sts and knit them together. This produces a one-stitch, left-slanting decrease known as a ‘Slip, slip, knit’.

1) Shoulder Samples
Example of top to top grafting.
Work 2 of these pieces.
Cast on 20 st in MY, work 10 rows of St st., ending with a purl row.  Leaving a tail, break off MY.  Change to brightly contrasting WY.  Work 6 rows of WY in Stocking stitch, beginning with a knit row.  Bind off in WY.

2) Sample Sock Toe
Using a set of DPN’s, cast on 40 sts and work one knit round.  Arrange the stitches as for a sock toe, the first 20 sts on one needle, and 10 sts on each of the other 2 needles. 
Round 2: (K1, ssk, k 14, k2t, k1) x 2.
Round 3: Knit.
Round 4: (K1, ssk, k 12, k2t, k1) x 2.
Continue to work decrease rounds every round until 20 sts remain.   Break off main yarn.
With WY work 6 rounds of St st onto the remaining 20 sts (no further shaping), bind off in waste yarn.

3) Complex Grafting Across a Patterned Row  Example of bottom to top grafting, one swatch.
Cast on 16 sts in Waste Yarn.
Work five rows of Stocking Stitch ending on completion of a knit row.
WY Row 6: Cut off waste yarn, tie on and purl across the row with a piece of  contrasting mercerized cotton, or some other strong slippery yarn of a similar weight.  Cut off the slippery yarn, tie on Main colour. Use Main yarn for remainder of swatch.

Rows 1, 3, 7 (RS): K3, p2, k6, p2, k3.
Rows 2, 4, 6 and 8: P3, k2, p6, k2, p3.
Row 5 (Cable row): K3, p2, place next 3 sts on DPN at front of work, knit next 3 sts, knit 3 from DPN, p2, k3.

Work the eight row repeat as set. Continue in this pattern until more than 5” of the cable pattern is produced, end two rows after last cable row, (on completion of Row 7).  Cut off Main yarn, leaving a tail.
 

• Detailed homework swatches.
• Yarn oddments both in main colour and two of other colors.
• Darning needles, blunt pointed and not too large for the size of the stitches you are working with.
• Scissors
• Usual knitting paraphernalia