The Knitting Fiend

I’m about to embark on a “pie wedge shawl” binge. I’ll be knitting shawls sort of like my “Barbara Shawl”, but I’m going to vary the edging. Naturally, I’m looking for loads of knit edging patterns. When I say loads, I mean I’m hoping to find a book that containing hundreds of knit edging patterns.

Hundreds? I know… “Dream On!” So, here’s my bleg: Can anyone recommend a book on edgings? Especially extremely deep edgings?

In additions to blegging. I have googling a bit, and checking out patterns at Amazon.com.

I did find two books of knitted lace edgings: Knitted Lace Edgings by Lorant and Classic Knitted Cotton Edgings by Hewitt and Daley. Both are out of print out of print, and available used for prices “as low as” $69.60. (I’ll watch for these on ebay. ) There were several other out of print books of edgings; most were crochet or tatting.

Meanwhile, here is a list of books I found and which I plan to check out from the library:

• Lavish Lace by Nobel and Potter. This seems to be a stitch pattern book. The table of contents lists lots of pretty overall lace stitches, many in Barbara Walker’s Treasuries.
   
• A Gathering of Lace by Swansen. Filled with patterns for gorgeous lace shawls this book is primarily for knitters who want complete patterns, (which is, I suspect, the vast majority of knitters.)
   
• Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Waterman. This book contains shawls, stitch patterns, tips on selecting yarn for shawls, tips on how to wear shawls and historical information about shawls.
   
• Gossamer Webs by Noble and Khmeleva. This book discusses Orenburg Lace Shawls. Topics include: History, shawl wearing tips, the famous orenburg goats, where to buy true Orenburg sheep’s down and one sample shawl pattern. If you want shawl patterns, The Gossamer Webs Design Collection by Khemeleva contains three.
   
• The First Book Of Modern Lace Knitting, by Kinsel has a pretty cover. The book must have sold, because she also wrote a Second Book Of Modern Lace Knitting. Reviewers seemed to like the book but say it is not a book for beginners.
   
• The Lacy Knitting of Mary Schiffmann by Nehring. Contents include lace washcloths, traditional lace edgings (just not many), doilies and other “old fashioned” lace items. I plan to check this out from the library!
   
• Victorian Lace Today by Sowerby and Xenakis. Patterns for lace garments. I’m always a bit puzzled by the idea of “Modern Lace”. Lace is lace. That said, the models wear shawls over up to date outfits. This is not a book of full of doilies, antimacassars or handkerchief edgings. So, yes, it has a modern feel.
   
• Lace from the Attic by Wiseman. This book is based on the contents of a 100 year old notebook found in an attic; it contains lace stitch patterns, full patterns and a few edging patterns.
   
• Traditional Lace Knitting by Hewett. Amazon has an excerpt of this book; the two patterns shown are edgings! One is really an insertion bordered by and edging, but it’s used as an edging and that’s good enough for me. Are the rest of the patterns edgings? Beats me! You bet I’m going to the library to find out!
   

Yep, there sure are books about knitting lace shawls, some focus on lace stitch patterns. But, there are, apparently, no in-print books specifically describing edgings. This doesn’t exactly surprise me. After all, I am probably one of the few knitters searching for hundreds of edgings so I can pick one to design my own shawl!

I will now proceed to google the web, where, no doubt I will find some knit edgings. Possibly with photos!

 

Magenta cables
on a checkerboard background?
It’s unusual.

 

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Is it the worst sweater I’ve ever seen? No. Is it the best? No. Does knitting cables on an intarsia background require a fair amount of technical skill? Yes.

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This Lane Borgosesia ad appeared in the August 1991 issue of McCall’s Needlework and Craft which contains a couple of other unusual sweater designs.

Today, I’ll give directions for the Shark’s Tooth Edging. I attached this garter stitch swatch but it can also be worked along with a main piece. I’ll describe both ways. Of course the edging can also be worked by itself and sewn on– but you don’t need me to explain how to do that, right?

Shark’s Tooth Edging: Basic Directions.

Prepare to work edging.

• Cast on 8 stitches. (For some applications, you may wish to cast on in waste yarn and knit a work a pair of rows in stockinette ending with a purl row. Afterwards attach yarn and continue. )
• Prep row: Knit one until 1 stitch remains. Place a marker. k1. (Note: if you are working the a shawl, the shawl stitches would sit here.)

The edging: The first slipped stitch of row 1 is final stitches of row 1 are on the “edge”.

• Row 1: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k2. (– 9 stitches.)
• Row 2: K2, yo, k2 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 10 stitches.)
• Row 3: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k4. (– 11 stitches.)
• Row 4: K2, yo, k4 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 12 stitches.)
• Row 5: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k6. (– 13 stitches.)
• Row 6: K2, yo, k6 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 14 stitches.)
• Row 7: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k8. (– 15 stitches.)
• Row 8: K2, yo, k8 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 16 stitches.)
• Row 9: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k10. (– 17 stitches.)
• Row 10: K2, yo, k10 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 18 stitches.)
• Row 11: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k10. (– 19 stitches.)
• Row 12: Bind off 11 stitches , k2 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 8 stitches.)

If you wish to knit this as you work a full shawl, cast on enough stitches for the main part of your shawl, then cast on 8 additional stitches. Follow the directions for the “prep row”– 8 stitches will be knit. Then work the directions for the main part of the shawl pattern over the shawl stitches.

Turn for the next row, follow the next row of directions for the shawl shawl; when you reach the final 8 stitches follow directions for “row 1″ of the edging. After that, just remember: the stitches on one side of the marker are edging stitches; those on the other are shawl stitches.

Here’s a tip: If you have trouble keeping track of the edging row after knitting two long shawl rows, use a post it note to mark the row you are working. (Or, read the re-organized directions below. They will help you “read” the knitting, which helps prevent losing track of your row.¹)

Ok, what if you wish to attach this to a shawl you have already knit. First: plan ahead. When knitting the shawl, be sure to slip the first stitch on the edge of the shawl purl-wise; this create a chain selvedge with 1 stitch every row.

After finishing the main part of the shawl, cast on the 8 stitches using some method that compliment the cast on method for your shawl. When you each the final stitch on the preparation row, place marker. Then instead of working k1, pick up a chain selvedge stitch from the shawl edge; this this together with the final stitch of the edging.

Turn to work row 2. Slip that first stitch — you will be slipping the stitch you created when you worked the k2tog.

Afterwards, replace every k1 with a k2tog involving one stitch from the shawl edge and one from the edging.

That’s pretty much how to work the edging. Some day I will try working the edging in a different color from the shawl. That would look cool!

Bye for now.

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1. Footnote: reading the pattern this way may help you memorize the the pattern.

• Row 1: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k2. (– 9 stitches.)
• Row 3: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k4. (– 11 stitches.)
• Row 5: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k6. (– 13 stitches.)
• Row 7: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k8. (– 15 stitches.)
• Row 9: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k10. (– 17 stitches.)
• Row 11: Slip 1, slip marker, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice, yo, k12. (– 19 stitches.)
• Row 2: K2, yo, k2 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 10 stitches.)
• Row 4: K2, yo, k4 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 12 stitches.)
• Row 6: K2, yo, k6 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 14 stitches.)
• Row 8: K2, yo, k8 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 16 stitches.)
• Row 10: K2, yo, k10 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 18 stitches.)
• Row 12: Bind off 11 stitches , k2 (yo, k2tog) twice, slip marker, k1 (– 8 stitches.)

Notice you are the unbalanced “yo” at the end of odd stitches and the beginning of even stitches constantly widens the tooth.

The first 7 stitches of all even rows are identical.

Eventually you bind these off. You could make the edging deeper by extending this pattern.