Just Keep Grafting

After my escape from sleeve island, it was time to graft (and graft.... and graft...) the sleeves onto my sweater. Even though it took some time and patience, I have no regrets about knitting the sleeves separate from the sweater body and then attaching them at the end.

Not too long after I finished my grafting adventure I received this message.

Although I don't have any video tutorials about maintaining tension across a long graft, with my recently attached sleeves fresh in my mind, I do have some tips to help you.

5 Tips for Maintaining Your Tension Across a Long Graft

1. Graft before blocking. Usually it's easiest to match things up and join side seams after blocking and shaping a garment. However when you're grafting live sts together it's best to do it before the fabric hits the water. 
2. Work on a supported surface. You're already dealing with a really long yarn tail and likely large pieces of fabric. If your pieces are resting on a table you can focus on your graft and not on balancing and maneuvering the fabric.
3. Relax and don't over-tighten your stitches. When you're grafting, it's a lot easier to correct loose tension than tight tension. If things are too tight, you have to shift the yarn tail back into the graft which is a nightmare. It's a lot easier to tighten things up and move the slack in your stitches toward the yarn tail.
4. Stop every few stitches. Look at the graft. Make corrections if necessary. For a short graft, like the 8-12 sts across a sock toe, it's easy enough to complete the graft and then tighten things up if you need to. That's not the case when you're grafting dozens of sts. Make corrections as you go. Stop every 1-2 inches and make sure your tension is correct. If it's not, use the tip of your yarn needle to gently lift one stitch leg at a time across the graft to tighten things up.
5. Keep practicing. The more comfortable you are with the actual process of grafting, the easier it will be to maintain an even tension.

And if you need a refresher on how to do the Kitchener stitch, don't miss my lesson on The Unforgettable Kitchener Stitch. It's a different way of thinking about grafting that will stick in your head, making the process much more enjoyable.