Russian grafting - now with pictures

I’ve been hearing an increasing amount about this over the last couple of weeks, and decided that a little research would be in order, as it sounded interesting. If I’ve understood things correctly, this is how it works. Pictures soon. I wrote this out in the early hours of this morning - I couldn't sleep, and our net access is abysmal then. Pictures soon! - (ETA: now added)

Russian grafting is very different from Kitchener stitch, or ‘normal’ grafting. To begin with, you start with the two needles side by side with the points facing each other, as if you were perhaps part way thru knitting a row. This contrasts with Kitchener stitch, where you hold the two needles together with the wrong sides of the work in contact, or perhaps on a flat surface so that they are in the same relative position as they will be when the grafting is finished.

So, you have the two needles side by side. I’m looking at stocking stitch here, for simplicity. It is easier if one piece has just had a wrong side row worked, and the other piece has just had a right side row worked. You hold the two pieces side by side, with one needle in each hand as if you were going to knit with them, and making sure that the working yarn tails are at the outside edge of each piece - like this.

As this comes together, you will start to see that the stitches from the two needles are linked together very much like the interlocking teeth of a zip, and there is throughout a single working stitch, which is moved from one needle to the other.....

Slip the first stitch on the RH needle onto the LH needle. This stitch is the working stitch, and it is now the first stitch on the LH needle - like this.

Now place the tip of the RH needle into that working stitch purlwise........

...... and into the next stitch on the LH needle knitwise.

Slip that knitwise stitch onto the RH needle, taking it thru the loop of the working stitch ......

......and letting the old working stitch drop. This is the new working stitch.

This is actually very easy to do. You’ve pulled a stitch from the LH needle thru the working stitch, and the new working stitch is now the first stitch on the RH needle.

Now, place the tip of the LH needle thru the working stitch as if to purl.....

......and pick up the back loop of the second stitch on the RH needle, taking the LH needle behind the trailing leg of that second stitch .....

.....and bringing it up thru the loop of the working stitch.....

.......and letting the old working stitch drop. This is the new working stitch.

Now, you have pulled a stitch from the RH needle through the working stitch, and the new working stitch is now the first stitch on the LH needle.

And so it continues, with the stitches from each needle alternately being taken through the working stitch. With just a little practice, this becomes very quick – and it is certainly very easy.

It produces a visible seam, looking like a neat little zigzag across the joined pieces. Rather pleasing, actually.