Two-colour grafting.
This tutorial will be helpful if you are working on the Oa Hoody, which requires stitches to be grafted at the top of the hood over a two-shade stripe.
The key thing to bear in mind when grafting with two colours in this way is to always graft a stitch using the yarn of the same shade (viz, yarn A always works into stitch A, and yarn B into stitch B)
First, you’ll need to set up your stitches for grafting stockinette in the usual fashion. Cut both yarns A and B, and thread onto tapestry needles (leaving long tails for grafting). Divide your working stitches onto two needles, sitting parallel to one another, with the working yarns coming between the needles from the back set of stitches.
Yarn A is orange and yarn B is white. With the tapestry needle, draw yarn A through the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl and pull through, leaving the stitch on the needle. Then draw yarn A through the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit, leaving the stitch on the needle. Now you are ready to begin grafting.
step 1) Draw yarn A through first front stitch as if to knit and slip stitch off needle.
step 2) Draw yarn A through next front stitch as if to purl, leaving stitch on needle.
step 3) Draw yarn A through first back stitch as if to purl, and slip stitch off needle.
step 4) Draw yarn A through next back stitch as if to knit, leaving stitch on needle.
Now repeat step 1 only with yarn A, drawing the yarn through as if to knit and slipping the stitch off the needle. The next stitch on the front needle is shade B, so you will have to change yarns to graft it.
Lay down the tapestry needle threaded with yarn A by lifting it above the work, away from the working area. Now take the tapestry needle holding yarn B, and work step 2, drawing yarn B through the next front stitch as if to purl, and leaving the stitch on the needle.
Then, remembering that you are always grafting a stitch with yarn of the same shade, work step 3 with yarn A and step 4 with yarn B, thus:
step 3) Draw yarn A through first back stitch as if to purl, and slip stitch off needle.
step 4) Draw yarn B through next back stitch as if to knit, leaving stitch on needle.
Repeat steps 1-4 again, working with yarn B.
For the next stitch, you will repeat step 1, grafting and slipping a stitch off the front needle with yarn B, but you may find that yarn A is out of position for grafting the next front stitch with the correct shade to complete step 2.
If this is the case, take the tapestry needle holding yarn A, and pass it under the last two B sts grafted, emerging at the correct place, ready to graft the next A stitch.
Your yarns are now in the correct positions to work steps 2-4 as follows:
step 2) Draw yarn A through next front stitch as if to purl, leaving stitch on needle.
step 3) Draw yarn B through first back stitch as if to purl, and slip stitch off needle.
step 4) Draw yarn A through next back stitch as if to knit, leaving stitch on needle.
Now continue grafting as established, always working a stitch with yarn of the same shade, and drawing the new shade (when required) under the two previously grafted stitches. You may find it useful to pull the yarn gently after grafting each pair of stitches of each shade to neaten them up.
Happy grafting!
KDD & Co 