Finchley Graft written instructions

I learned the Finchley Graft recently. It makes the same fabric as the more common Kitchener graft, but without the extra setup/end steps that make it stick out at the edges when used on, say, a sock toe.

Unfortunately, I haven’t done it enough times to actualy have it memorized, and when I look it up I find pages of videos without wrtten instructions, and even the pattern I learned it from links a video. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I loathe watching a video to remind me of a technique when I just need a few easy to scan words as a reminder. So I’m making the thing I want to have in the world!

Full written instructions

This is for grafting two pieces of stockinette together, with purls on the back side.

  1. Divide stitches into two equal parts and hold the front/knit sides of the piece together, with the back/purl side facing out.
  2. Cut a length of yarn 3 times as wide as the graft and thread the end onto a yarn needle.
  3. Insert the needle knitwise through the first stitch on both needles and pull the yarn through.
  4. Pull the back stitch off the needle.
  5. Insert the needle purlwise through the first stitch on each needle and pull the yarn through. (One is new, one is the one you did last time)
  6. Pull the front stitch off the needle
  7. repeat 3-6 until two stitches remain then go though and pull them both off

Short reminder for future Terri:

  1. From front go through both knitwise, pull off last (back)
  2. From back go purlwise, pull off last (front)

Other tips

  • The real winner in this graft is not needing extra setup steps that make little “ears” on sock toes.
  • Flipping a sock inside out is much easier if the stitches are on a cable. If using a circular needle pull the tips through. If on dpns maybe try stitch saver or something.
  • Like Kitchener, getting the tension right takes practice. I find it harder to see because you’re working on the wrong side. (So if you’re doing a long graft you might still prefer Kitchener. I find for a sock toe that I can just wiggle)
  • In theory the shorter instructions will be easier to remember, but since I already had the other graft memorized it doesn’t much matter to me.