Garter Tab Cast On

About

The garter tab cast on is usually used in top-down triangle-style shawls to create a seamless garter border along the top edge of the shawl.

Procedure

1. Cast on the number of stitches required for one side of the shawl border.

2. Knit twice the number of rows as the number of stitches that are required to be picked up for the shawl body. (For example: 3 stitches need to be picked up, knit 6 rows.)

3. Rotate the knitting 90 degrees so that the left edge of the work is now on top.

4. Pick up and knit one stitch in each garter ridge (purl bump) along the left edge.

5. Rotate the knitting 90 degrees so that the cast on edge of the work is now on top.

6. Pick up and knit the number of stitches required for one side of the shawl border (same as in Step 1).

Tips & Tricks

• Use a provisional cast on to create a more seamless transition on the cast on edge. Depending on the provisional cast on, you may need to knit one extra row in Step 2 to get the required amount of garter ridges.
• If using a traditional cast on, place a stitch marker through each cast on stitch, or a lifeline through the cast on row to aid in picking up stitches in Step 6.