Grafting live stitches to a bound off edge

This technique is good for shoulder seams that have the stability of a bound-off seam and the seamless look of a graft:



Grafter's mantra:

I do a lot of grafting - top to top, top to bottom, stockinette to stockinette, reverse stockinette to reverse stockinette, and even rib to rib. There's one rule of thumb that holds true in every one of these situations. It doesn't matter if you knit continental or combination, and it doesn't matter which way the stitches are twisted on the needle. ALWAYS:

Use the front door (the knit side) when going across the street (to the next row).

Use the back door (the purl side) when going next door (to the next stitch).

That's really all you need to know. When entering a stitch on the same side as the yarn is already on, always enter the purl side of the stitch. When entering a stitch on the opposite needle, always enter the knit side of the stitch. It works in every situation where a knitwise graft is called for.

For a purlwise graft, as for garter or seed stitch grafting, do just the opposite.

So simple, you may actually start to enjoy grafting!

Wrapless Short Rows:

I've tried many ways of working short rows, but no matter how snugly I wrapped my yarn or looped it over, it always seemed too loose when it was being knitted or purled together with the adjacent stitch, and the results also looked a little loose. That's why I came up with this wrapless technique - the finished results look more seamless. Added bonus - it turns out to be the easiest way - for me anyway. Here's the technique:

Cut a short (4" for a single short row, or several inches for several short rows in succession, as for a shoulder) piece of yarn in the same weight (or thinner) as your working yarn, but preferably in a contrasting color (cc). Work to turn point and turn. Lay the cc yarn across the working yarn before working back in the other direction. (Just let it get caught up in the working yarn - it's there as a place holder, and for a short-row shoulder, the same piece of cc yarn can lay loosely through all of the turn points.) You could also place a stitch marker, safety pin, or paper clip around the yarn at this point, as long as it is thin.
In stockinette stitch, to resolve short rows if working on the knit side: Work to turn gap. Pull gently on both ends of the cc yarn; this will pull out a loop of yarn in your work. Insert left needle into this loop, and knit together with next stitch. Remove cc yarn.
In stockinette stitch, to resolve short rows if working on the purl side: Work to a turn gap. Slip next stitch (past the gap) purl-wise onto right needle. Pull gently on both ends of the cc yarn to reveal the loop and insert left needle into it from the bottom, purl together with slipped stitch. Remove cc yarn.

link to Crochet trim, buttonholes and buttons tutorial

Knitting Backwards

Instead of switching needles back and forth when turning short rows, try knitting backwards (also handy when doing entrelac):

With yarn in back, insert left needle, purlwise (with tips facing), into back of stitch, wrap yarn around left needle up around back and down around front, lead wrapped yarn through stitch and off of right needle. Backwards purl stitch: With yarn in front, insert left needle, knitwise (with tips parallel) into back of stitch, wrap yarn around left needle up around back and down around front, lead wrapped yarn through stitch and off of right needle.