Conquering Kitchener homework

You will be practicing your grafting skills on your homework swatches. Please choose plain solid yarns in light colors that are easy on your eyes. We will be unpicking the scrap yarn in class. If you tend to be a tight knitter, please go up at least one needle size — possibly two or three — so your knitting has some drape and is not too tight. It will be easier to learn if you can see your stitches clearly and if they lie nicely rather than popping out when pulled off the needles. You may use worsted weight yarn, but if you can use larger yarn and larger needles, it will be easier to see the stitches. Your swatches will be tubes with two contrasting stripes. The garter swatch will be a tube with four contrasting stripes.

My swatches. I've put extra rounds on mine.

Materials:

• 1 skein bulky yarn (main color)
• several yards of scrap bulky yarn (contrast color)
• If you have a friend taking the class, then buy two contrasting skeins. You can swap colors.
• large needles to work in the round — use your preferred method

Swatch #1 — Stockinettte — Required
With main color, cast-on 40 stitches in the round. Knit all for 10 rounds. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, knit all for 1 round only. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, knit all for 5 rounds. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, knit all for 1 round only. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
*With main color, knit all for 10 rounds. Do not bind off. Place 1st half of the round on stitch holder/waste yarn and place 2nd half of the round on a separate stitch holder/waste yarn.
or
*With main color, knit all for 1 round. Work your favorite decreasing sock toe until you have about 20 stitches left. (You could try double decreases every-other row at the beginning and middle of the round.) Do not bind off. Place 1st half of the round on stitch holder/waste yarn and place 2nd half of the round on a separate stitch holder/waste yarn.

Swatch #2 — Garter — Required
With main color, cast-on 40 stitches in the round. Alternate knit 1 round, purl 1 round for 10 rounds (5 ridges) total. Knit 1 more round. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, purl 1 round only. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, alternate knit 1 round, purl 1 round for 4 rounds (2 ridges). Knit 1 more round. With scrap contrast color, purl 1 round only. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, alternate knit 1 round, purl 1 round for 10 rounds (5 ridges) total. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, knit 1 round only. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, alternate purl 1 round, knit 1 round for 4 rounds. Purl 1 more round.
Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, knit 1 round only. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, alternate purl 1 round, knit 1 round for 10 rounds (5 ridges). Work 1 more round, binding off as you go. If you like, try binding off the first 20 stitches (½ round) in knit and the second 20 stitches (½ round) in purl, so you can see the difference between the two methods with garter stitch.

Swatch #3 — 2×2 Ribbing — Required
With main color, cast on 40 stitches in the round. Work 10 rounds of 2×2 (k2, p2) ribbing. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only 2×2 (k2, p2) ribbing. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 2×2 (k2, p2) ribbing for 5 rounds. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only 2×2 (k2, p2) ribbing. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 2×2 (k2, p2) ribbing for 10 rounds, binding off in pattern on last round.

Swatch #4 — 1×1 Ribbing — Required
With main color, cast on 40 stitches in the round. Work 10 rounds of 1×1 (k1, p1) ribbing. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only 1×1 (k1, p1) ribbing. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 1×1 (k1, p1) ribbing for 5 rounds. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only 1×1 (k1, p1) ribbing. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 1×1 (k1, p1) ribbing for 10 rounds. Do not bind off. If you cut the yarn, leave enough length to graft an entire round.

If you are taking this class because you want to learn to graft complex patterns, you may wish to try optional swatches #5 & #6.  I will also bring my versions of them to class, if you want to try them in class before making your own practice pieces.

Optional swatches.

Swatch #5 — Seed Stitch — Optional
With main color, cast on 39 stitches in the round. Number must be odd! Work 10 rounds of seed stitch (k1, p1). Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only in pattern. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 5 rounds in pattern. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only in pattern. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 10 rounds in pattern, binding-off in pattern on last round.

Swatch #6 — Double Seed Stitch — Optional
With main color, cast on 38 stitches in the round. Number must be even but not divisible by four! Work 10 rounds of double seed stitch (k2, p2). Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only in pattern. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 5 rounds in pattern. Drop main color, but do not cut it.
With scrap contrast color, work 1 round only in pattern. Cut. Leave both ends loose on inside.
With main color, work 10 rounds in pattern, binding-off in pattern on last round.

Optional — Work a swatch in any other patterns you may want to learn to graft.