Last Spring I had a shawl, Ribbon Tool Shawl, published in the spring issue of Interweave Knits. It’s not a very complex knit but starting the edging has got some knitters into problems so I thought I’d put a quick photo tutorial together to help them out.
First you finish the body of the shawl and break the yarn – in the swatch I’m working on that’s the little strip of garter stitch sitting on the table! Now for the edging with a double pointed needle you cast on the correct number of stitches and work the wrong-side set-up row. This is what’s pictured here.
Now in the pattern you work row 1 of the edging. This is what catches knitters out. You begin by working a Chain 6. The chain 6 is knitting the same stitch 6 times to form a ‘chain’ of knitted stitches similar to a crocheted chain.
Begin by knitting the first stitch and slipping it back to the left needle.
Now you knit this stitch 5 more times (slipping it back after each time you knit it).
When you are finished you will have a chain of stitches that looks like this, with the final stitch on your right needle.
Now you knit the next stitch so you will have 2 stitches on your right needle.
Now you lift the second stitch over the first, this will effective ‘close’ the chain loop that will be at the edge of your shawl.
Once this chain loop is complete work the remainder of Row 1 of the edging as written until you reach the final stitch. This is where you will join the body of the shawl with the edging. You want to knit this last edging stitch with the first stitch of the body.
As they are still on 2 needles you can either knit them together with the 2 needles or transfer the stitch from the dpn to the shawl body needle.
From this point you can also use just the circular needles for the remainder of the shawl if it is easier for you.
Is there a place where I can purchase the ribbon tool shawl pattern ?
Please advise.
Tx you very much.
Georgia
Just click on the photo (the first picture in the page) and you’ll be brought to the Interweave page with the Ribbon Tool Shawl. http://www.stolenstitches.com/pattern-shop/interweave-patterns/
Just wanted to leave you a quick note and came across this aid for the border…but exactly at the moment I finished the bind off! Bought the issue Feb/2105and knit the shawl. Spent two days without success trying to get started with the ribbon tool border. Packed it away for an entire year. Picked it up two weeks ago and the engineering behind it was no longer Greek to me. What a fun edging and we’ll work the time! Your pictures are excellent. I’m not sure I want to block it. It looks so whimsical and I fear it will loose it’s springiness. Should I just do a soak and gently finger shape to dimensions?
If you like the way it looks right now then a gentle blocking will be just fine!
Thanks for reposting the tutorial on how to do the edging to the shawl.