Simplify your grafting with these tips:

I enjoy grafting, and I do a lot of it - 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 situated on the needle. ALWAYS:

Exit out of the knit side of one stitch and enter into the knit side of the opposite stitch when crossing from row to row,
Exit out of the purl side of one stitch and enter into the purl side of the next stitch when working from stitch to stitch in the same row.

Or think of it this way:
Use the front doors (the knit sides of the stitches) when visiting your neighbor across the street (the stitch in the opposite row).
Use the back doors (the purl sides of the stitches) when visiting your neighbor next door (the next stitch in the same row).


This strategy also makes a visual sense when you look at your stockinette-stitch fabric. The knit side of the fabric is composed of vertical strands. So your vertical, row to row movements, should take place on the on the knit sides of the stitches.

And the purl side of the fabric is composed of horizontal strands. So your horizontal, stitch to stitch movements, should take place on the purl sides of the stitches.


You'll find that this concept applies whether you're grafting stockinette stitch, rib, or reverse stockinette stitch, and whether you're grafting end to end or end to beginning. The same rule applies.


So simple, you may actually start to enjoy grafting!