How to: Invisible Graft Double Rib

There are horrible moments in crafting when you you know you've bitten off more than you can chew, but its far too late to go back without ruining everything. About half-way through extending my jumper was one of those moments. Doing an invisible graft on a rib stitch is soooo much harder than on a plain knit or purl stitch, the wool was splitty and I couldn't find a "how to" anywhere! After much swearing, cursing and finally figuring it out, here is my "how to" for completing an graft a double or 2x2 rib.

How to graft a double rib

Set Up: Because knitting is worked in a zig-zag, right to left then turn, when matching up your knitting for an invisible graft its important that you don't break the sequence or your join won't be truly invisible. These instructions assume that the lower section finishes on the right, the graft runs from right to left and the top section begins on the left hand side.

The 2x2 rib section demonstrated starts with a knit section, if your work starts with a purl section begin at step 9 and circle back to step 1 as instructed.

When doing any kind of graft I prefer to use waste yarn to hold the stitches rather than needles. With waste yarn i find it easier to see what I'm doing and if I've made a mistake. If you prefer to use needles, use much narrower needles than the yarn requires so that you've got plenty of room to work.

Terminology: When grafting you have two sets of loops, upper and lower which become interlocked like teeth.  Upper and lower refer to the sections which are being grafted. 

Step1:  Starting with the 1st lower loop, bring the tapestry needle with the grafting yarn through the loop from the back of the work to the front.

Step 2: Now take it through the 1st upper loop going from the front of the work to the back.

Step 3: Through the 2nd upper loop from the back to the front.

Step 4: Back through the 1st lower loop, front to back.

Step 5: Through the 2nd lower loop back to front.

Step 6: Back through the 2nd upper loop front to back

Step 7: Through the 3rd upper loop back to front.

Step 8:  Back through the 2nd lower loop front to back.

Step 9:  Through the 3rd lower loop front to back

Step 10: Back through the 3rd upper loop back to front.

Step 11: Through the 4th upper loop front to back.

Step 12  Back through the 3rd lower loop back to front

Step 13: Though the 4th lower loop front to back

Step 14: Back through the 4th upper loop back to front.

Step 15: Through the 5th upper loop front to back.

Step 16: Back through the 4th lower loop back to front

Repeat from step 1:

In Pictures:

Step 1

Steps 2 and 3

Steps 4 and 5

Step 9

Step 11

Step 16

 

Tah Dah!