Garter Stitch Graft
It seems as if the Garter stitch graft is causing vexation among dishcloth knitters of the world. So it would appear that a tutorial is in order. Are you ready to learn my secret? Good. Now pay close attention and you will not struggle with this again.
In order to achieve a successful graft, the stitches must have a Valley row and a Ridge row facing each other. You must learn to correctly identify the differences between a Valley and a Ridge. It's all about how the stitch rests against the needle.
The Valley has a little groove between the needle and the stitches. 
The Ridge is snuggled right up against the needle. 
Do you see the differences between the two?
If you graft 2 Valleys or 2 Ridges together it will produce an ugly, heavy seam that is positively horrible. Should you have ended with 2 Valleys or Ridges, you probably miscounted on the short rows. No worries. It is a common occurrence. I do it often. A simple fix will remedy this. Knit an additional row and all will be well. Don't worry and don't frog. It's a dishcloth. Do try to keep things in perspective and besides no one else will care. As far as I know there are no known Dishcloth Knitting Police squads waiting to take you away!
On an embarrassing note, I goofed while knitting this dishcloth and ended up with 2 Ridges so I had to knit an extra row to straighten things out. Thus leaving me with the yarn tail coming from the front. So I'll start my first graft on the back needle. Normally, I would begin the graft on the front needle. See, how versatile this method is.
A few important notes before you begin.
Always keep the darning yarn below the needles at all times. If you don't, you will inadvertently create an extra stitch. It will torment you and cause you to unpick your graft. Ask me how I know this:D Also keep your tension the same as your knit stitches throughout the process. This will allow the graft to blend in nicely with its neighbors.
Now lets get started.
Remove the Provisional Cast on and slide the stitches onto a small needle. Transfer the stitches from the other needle to a smaller one as well. Using a smaller needle permits easy passage of the darning needle as it weaves its way through the stitches.
Cut the yarn 4 times the width of your stitches and thread the darning needle, more if you desire a longer tail.
Time to graft.
Hold the 2 needles parallel to each other. I find it best to have the Valley stitches on the back needle and the Ridge stitches in the front. Turn your dishcloth around if you need to.
* Insert your darning needle Knit-wise in the first stitch of your back needle and draw the yarn through. Pull it snug, but not tight and drop it off the needle.
In the second stitch insert the needle Purl-wise and pull the yarn through. Pull the yarn snug, not tight. See you just made a purl bump! Think: Up and down, bumps in back.
Now let's turn our attention to the front needle.
Insert the darning needle through the first stitch Knit-wise and the next one Purl-wise. Drop the first stitch off the needle. Pull the yarn snug, not tight. No purl bumps are wanted here. You want a stockinette stitch here. Think: Slide the needle, side to side.
Go to the back needle again and repeat the process*, over and over. Do you see a pattern forming here? Two stitches sewn on the back create the purl bump (up and down) and then two in the front for the stockinette stitch (side to side). Always remember graft 2 by 2, Up and down, bumps in back. Slide the needle, side to side.
After you have done this a few times it should look like this:
Repeat this over and over again, all the way to the end. Then weave in your tails.
I like to weave them in like this. I insert the needle through every other leg of the stitches in between the Garter ridges, then I turn around and do it again on the next row and snip the tail.
Can you find the graft here?
Or here?
No? That's exactly what I was hoping for:D
Did you have to put your grafting down for a minute? Are you lost? Here's a tip. Look carefully at your work. Is the darning yarn in the front? Then your next stitch will be in the back. Is it in the back? Then go to the front. Keep this mantra in your mind:
Stitches sewn 2 by 2,
Up and down, bumps in back.
Slide the needle, side to side.
For those of you who did not have to knit an extra row to even things up, the process is just a touch different. When the yarn is coming from the back needle, insert your darning needle into the front stitch Purl-wise. Then begin the graft*. After you have gone through the stitch, on the front, a second time then drop it off the needle. Carry on to the finish line.
Would you like to print the whole tutorial? Then click on this link to retrieve the document. Slip it into a document protector, keep it with your dishcloth knitting and graft to your hearts content.
Happy grafting:D
