An Education in Grafting Lace Edgings: Edging Pattern 4

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So far in our series on grafting lace edgings, we’ve covered how to create:

A picot selvedge

A slip stitch selvedge at the beginning of a row

Twisted stitches

Yarnovers

Single and double decreases

The fourth edging in our series is another garter-stitch-based edging with yarnovers and decreases worked only on right-side rows. In addition to some grafted stitches we’ve already covered, this edging also involves grafting double yarnovers. This may sound a bit scary, but as we shall see, it’s actually very easy. All you do is work four steps on the upper piece and skip the steps on the lower piece altogether. Steps 1 and 2 create a knit stitch and Steps 3 and 4 create a purl stitch (the equivalent of knitting and purling into the double yarnover). Lace edgings create a delicate and beautiful finish, which you’ll see below. This particular edging comes from a baby blanket pattern that has been in my queue for a long time: the Star Light Star Bright baby blanket, designed by Anna Dillenberg Rachap. (You can find a free download for the pattern at the end of this post.) The pattern doesn’t include instructions for grafting the edging in the lace pattern, so you’ll have to adjust the pattern accordingly.

This particular lace edging comes from a baby blanket pattern: the Star Light Star Bright baby blanket, designed by Anna Dillenberg Rachap.

For the grafting, I used Rows 1 and 2 of the lace chart (Row 1 for the grafted row itself and Row 2 for the provisional cast-on row).

Keep the stitches on the waste yarn as they are being grafted.

Take the Course: Lace Grafting Made Easy

The Lace Grafting Sequences

Seven grafting sequences are used to graft this edging: Sequences C, G, L, N, Q, S, and T. As always, I recommend that you practice the sequences before grafting any of the lace edgings. Sequence C can be found in Practice Swatch 1 and Sequence G can be found in Practice Swatch 2. Sequences L, N, Q, S, and T aren’t included in the practice swatches, but practicing the other sequences should give you a good idea of how to graft these, as well.

Sequence C will create a knit stitch on the lower piece and a purl stitch on the upper piece.

Sequence G will create a yarnover on the lower piece and a purl stitch on the upper piece.

Sequence L will create a k2tog on the lower piece and a purl stitch on the upper piece.

Sequence N creates a slip stitch at the selvedge. Notice in Photo 4 that the working yarn is coming from the second stitch on the lower piece, rather than from the first stitch. Before working Sequence N, it’s important to leave the last stitch of the last wrong-side row unworked.

Sequence N will create a slip stitch at the selvedge. The working yarn should be coming from the second-to-last stitch on the lower piece. The grafted stitch spans two rows.

Sequence Q will create a p2tog on the lower piece and a purl stitch on the upper piece.

Sequence S will create a k3tog on the lower piece and a purl stitch on the upper piece.

Sequence T creates a double yarnover by skipping four steps on the lower piece and working four steps only on the upper piece:

UPPER PIECE

The Provisional Cast-On The provisional cast-on forms the base for Row 2 of the lace pattern. There’s no need to differentiate between knit and purl stitches on the cast-on row (that will be done during grafting). And knitting on the wrong side with the working yarn makes the cast-on stitches more visible against the waste yarn, making it easier to find them when grafting. Here are three different methods for casting on provisionally for the lace edging: Crochet Chain Method

With crochet hook and cotton waste yarn, chain about 25 sts. Break yarn and pull tail through last st.
Turn chain over so the bumps in the back of the chain are visible. With knitting needle and working yarn, beginning in 3rd st from last st of chain, pick up and knit 19 sts in the chain.

Alternate Crochet Chain Method

With crochet hook and cotton waste yarn, work 19 chain sts onto a knitting needle.
With knitting needle and working yarn, knit across all sts.

Waste Yarn Method

With cotton waste yarn, cast on 19 sts using any method. Work in St st for about 1″, ending with a RS row. Break waste yarn.
With WS facing and working yarn, k19.

Working the Pattern 4 Lace Chart Work Rows 3–16 of the Pattern 4 chart once, then work Rows 1–16. Bind off all sts.

LOWER PIECE

Cast on 19 sts and work Rows 1–16 of the Pattern 4 chart 2 times (do not work last st of Row 16 on 2nd repeat). Break the yarn, leaving a long tail for grafting. Place these sts on a strand of waste yarn that is sturdy enough to keep the stitches from sinking down into the stitches below.

GRAFTING THE EDGING

Start by threading the cast-on tail onto a tapestry needle and running it through to the wrong side of the work to create an extra half loop at the edge. This half loop makes it possible to work all four steps of the last grafting sequence.

The first step in grafting the lace edging.

Second step in grafting the lace edging.

How to Follow the Grafting Chart

The grafting chart is worked from right to left and (unlike a regular stitch chart) both rows of the chart are worked at the same time. I print out the grafting chart so I can check off each sequence as it’s worked. That way, if I get interrupted mid-graft, I know that I must start with the first unchecked sequence.

GRAFT THE STITCHES

Thread the working yarn onto a tapestry needle. Work Sequence N once:

Insert tapestry needle purlwise into slip stitch at edge of lower piece. Notice that the point of the tapestry needle is facing to the right, instead of to the left, as is usually the case when inserting a tapestry needle into a stitch purlwise. This is because the slip stitch is oriented in the opposite direction from a stitch that is mounted on the needle so that the right leg is in front of the needle (or, in this case, the waste yarn).
Insert tapestry needle from right to left under both legs of slip stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into slip st on lower piece. The point of the tapestry needle faces to the left, instead of to the right, but it’s still knitwise.
The completed grafted slip stitch.

Work Sequence C once:

Insert tapestry needle purlwise into stitch on lower piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on upper piece (using lower leg of slip st on upper piece).
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into next stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on lower piece.
Completed Sequence C.

Work Sequence G once:

Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on upper piece (into same loop as for Step 3 of Sequence C).
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into next stitch on upper piece.
Completed Sequence G.

Work Sequence Q once:

Insert tapestry needle knitwise into two stitches on lower piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into next stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into same two stitches on lower piece, making sure to keep the tapestry needle on the left side of the first leg of the grafted stitch.
Completed Sequence Q.

Work Sequence C four times:

Working Sequence C four times for lace grafting.

Work Sequence L once:

Insert tapestry needle purlwise into two stitches on lower piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into next stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into same two stitches on lower piece, staying to left side of first leg of grafted st.
Completed Sequence L. Notice how the stitch aligns with the right diagonal line of stitches above it.

Work Sequence T once:

Insert tapestry needle purlwise into stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into next stitch on upper piece (in the stitch centered under the diamond motif).
First two steps (the knit stitch) of sequence complete.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on upper piece (into same stitch as Step 2 so the grafting yarn twists around the same stitch).
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into next stitch on upper piece.
Completed Sequence T.

Work Sequence S once:

Insert tapestry needle purlwise into three stitches on lower piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle purlwise into next stitch on upper piece.
Insert tapestry needle knitwise into same three stitches on lower piece, making sure that the tapestry needle stays to the left of the first leg of the grafted stitch. (It may help to fold the lower piece toward you so that all three stitches are visible.
Completed Sequence S.

Work Sequence C four times:

Work Sequence G once: This Sequence G aligns with the left diagonal line of yarnovers above and below.

Work Sequence C two times:

Remove the waste yarn. Block the swatch to even out the grafted stitches.

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Featured Image: Mone Dräger’s Mantilla Stole is part of the Knits Holiday 2016 collection. This stunning project is another great example of how grafting lace edgings can make a finished object stand out.

Designer Anna Rachap designed this knitted baby blanket pattern that includes lace edgings while reminiscing over a domed ceiling of a church in Bad Homburg, Germany, while visiting relatives. The stars on this blanket, she decided, would represent a kind of blessing for the baby sleeping under them. The star motifs are made by pairing yarnovers with decreases. The spikiness of the sawtooth border mimics the star shape and its laciness offers a subtle delicacy. As with all lace edgings, the motifs look best after they’ve been stretched out and blocked.