Knitting Friday

So much of the enjoyment of knitting, once you get past the basics, is thinking out of the box.

Today, let's look at the simple picot edging as an avenue for doing this.

I guess I just did picot edgings by rote until I came across Kathy Zimmerman’s shawl in Shawls Two On the Go! where the picot stitch is used to make a fringe-as-you-go, side-to-side triangular shawl and a light went on in my brain: this simple concept could be tweaked for some interesting results.

Here is my version of a simple triangular garter shawl knit from bottom to top with the picot fringe:
Cast on (CO) 2 stitches (sts)
Row 1: Knit (K) 1, increase (inc) 1. Turn.
Row 2: CO 3 sts. Immediately bind off (BO) these 3 sts. K across, inc in the last st. Turn.
Repeat Row 2 to the size you want. Before you bind off, count the picots on both side. Add another Row 2 to make them even, if necessary. BO.

This makes a very attractive ruffled fringe border around the shawl so your shawl is absolutely complete once you bind off.

Variations:
1 - You could work this for a lot of simple patterns if you think ahead. Right now, I’m working a K1, P1 rib triangular shawl with 2 stitch picot edging which looks like a popcorn stitch.
2- CO more or fewer stitches for different-sized picots. You'll find different results with various weights of yarn.
3 - Since the top of your shawl will be plain, you can add a crocheted picot edge to the top of your triangular shawl this way:
BO across top, Do not cut yarn. Work one row of single crochet (sc) across top of shawl. Turn. Chain (ch) 5. Make sc in 3rd ch from hook.*Slip stitch (sl st) in next st. Chain 5. Make sc in 3rd ch from hook. - 1 picot made.* Work ** across row. Bind off. (Note: There is a picot cast off which makes the picot as you cast off. However, I like to make the most elastic cast off possible and this isn't it.)
4- Make a rectangular shawl with picot fringe on two sides. The sides depend on the direction you knit the shawl.

Challenges:
1 - Work a summer sweater lengthwise from side seam to side seam. Whenever you get to the bottom of the sweater, work the picot edging and use this as your ribbing. This is a different way to add a picot hem and a different sweater look.
2 - Find more complex bottom to top triangular shawl pattern and work in the picots on both sides. http://simpleknits.blogspot.com/2007/08/296-triangle-shawl-patterns.html is a great site.
3 - Try this on a diagonally knit rectangular shawl. I think it will work but I don't know if the bias pull will be objectionable.

Two Final Notes:
1- When a pattern is complex and your stitches on the row must be accurate, be sure to place the last stitch of your picot bind off from your right needle, back on your left needle and work the row starting with this stitch.
2 -I don't think this can possibly work on a top to bottom shawl.

Experiment and enjoy.