Minimum degree condition for a graph to be knitted

Abstract: For a positive integer $k$, a graph is $k$-knitted if for each $k$-subset $S$ of vertices, and every partition of $S$ into disjoint parts $S_1, \ldots, S_t$ for some $t\ge 1$, one can find disjoint connected subgraphs $C_1, \ldots, C_t$ such that $C_i$ contains $S_i$ for each $i$. In this article, we show that if the minimum degree of an $n$-vertex graph $G$ is at least $n/2+k/2-1$ when $n\ge 2k+3$, then $G$ is $k$-knitted. The minimum degree is sharp. As a corollary, we obtain that $k$-contraction-critical graphs are $\left\lceil\frac{k}{8}\right\rceil$-connected.