Scarf with a Ruffled Cast On Edge

silvia castillo · 10-03-2007, 07:58 PM

I was thinking of knitting a scarf with a ruffled CO edge. I understand I have to cast on 4 times the number of st that the pattern calls for, then on Row 1 knit 2tog across the row and on Row 2, purl 2tog across the row. My question is when I get to the other end of the scarf, how will I distribute 88 st (my cast on will be 22 st) among these? Do I have to work them like when you knit bobbles? Please help

wandersfar · 10-04-2007, 01:16 AM

If you mean, "how can get I get my bind-off edge to match my cast-on edge" (which I think is what you're saying?) just do increases on every stitch on your penultimate row, and increases on every stitch on your last row after that. Then bind-off as normal.

silvia castillo · 10-04-2007, 01:32 AM

OK, so 44 increases on the penultimate row and 44 on the last row, right? And do I work the increases as knit stitches or a combination of knit and purl? And really, I'm sorry if my questions sound silly, but I'm making my best effort to learn, and all of you are contributing tremendously to make it much easier.

wandersfar · 10-04-2007, 01:47 AM

Well, on the penultimate row, you'll be doing 22 increases. (22 stitches will become 44 stitches.) On the last row, you'll do 44 increases. (44 stitches will become 88 stitches.) Then you'll bind-off 88 stitches, which is the exact same amount that you cast-on in the beginning.

As for types of increases, that's up to you and the look you want to create. The simplest ones are probably "knit into the front and back loops" and "purl into the front and back loops" which are done pretty much the way they sound. Check out this page for a full listing of increases and videos of Amy doing them.

You're working this scarf in stockinette right? (Since you're K2tog'ing the first row and P2tog'ing the second row?) Then you'd increase in the pattern you've established, either KFB'ing (knit in the front and back loops) or PFB'ing (purl in the front and back loops) the penultimate row depending on whether you've purled or knitted the row before that, and doing the opposite increase on the last row before binding-off.

Clear as mud?

wandersfar · 10-04-2007, 01:50 AM

Also, you do know that your scarf is gonna be rolling like crazy, right?

Stockinette rolls. If you don't want your scarf to, I suggest doing garter stitch, seed stitch, or ribbing for the main body instead. You could still do stockinette for the ruffles on either end, though.

Edited to add: You may want to knit/purl those 88sts for a while before you do the decreases at the very beginning and after you do the increases at the end. A two-row ruffle will be really tiny, no? I'm fairly certain you can just work in plain stockinette before you do the decreases (and after the increases) if you want a slightly longer ruffle on either end. Just make sure you do the same number of extra rows on either end if you want them to match!

silvia castillo · 10-04-2007, 02:18 AM

Thank you sooooooo very much for all your help.

You're right. I'm doing stockinette only for the ruffles and ribbing for the main body. I'm all set now!!

wandersfar · 10-04-2007, 02:59 AM

You're very welcome. Good luck with it and come back if you have any more questions!