I’m knitting a triangular shawl (very basic pattern, can be found almost anywhere - it’s a variation on the dishcloth pattern with k2, yo, knit across). I’m using Red Heart Symphony, double stranded, and it is working up really well and is very pretty. My problem? The “V” point at the bottom wants to fold or curl under. It’s almost like it needs a weight of some sort put down there. I can take the tail of the cast on yarn and gently pull it, and it goes into a perfect “V” with no curling at all. Other wise it looks more like a “V” where someone has flattened the bottom of the point.
Is this kind of problematic with triangular shawls? What do you do to keep the point from curling or folding (whichever way you want to describe it)? I wasn’t planning on adding fringe as the shawl looks fine without it and I’m afraid with the mohair-type yarn the fringe would end up looking ratty.
If it’s garter st it shouldn’t curl up. One thing that causes sts to curl is too tight a gauge, you should go up 2-4 needle sizes larger than you’d knit a sweater with the yarn for a shawl. Symphony double stranded ought to be knit on sie 13s at least, maybe even 15s.
I’m using 13’s. It’s got me baffled. I don’t know - should I try and find some kind of little decorative thing that has a bit of weight to it and work it into the bottom row or on the yarn that’s left over from the cast on?:shrug:
I guess by “variation” I meant bigger, and like 1/2 of the dishcloth pattern. The pattern itself is the same. It’s the k2, yo, knit across with the repeat for every row; thus it’s garter stitch. It’s not curling like stockinette, it’s more like the point wants to fold up. I suppose my stitches could be tight, but they don’t appear to be anywhere on the darn thing - even in the point. I wondered if it had something to do with the point being less yarn and the yarn being so basically fine (but hairy). I’m beginning to think some form of “weighting” decoration is the only answer. Don’t know how well blocking will hold with an acrylic like that.
The only way to block acrylic is to ‘kill’ it by steaming, and I don’t think you’d like how it looks on this yarn. I made a sweater with it, single stranded on 7mm needles, It’s very warm because of the fuzzies. It may be because of the narrow point in combination with the yarn that it’s curling.
I usually work an edging around mine, but then, I crochet too. If you want to have it all knit, try this: thread a yarn needle with a double strand and run it LOOSELY through the purl bumps on the edge. If that doesn’t give it enough weight, run another double strand through. I’ve seen people use pony beads on the edging, too, tucked in between the purl bumps with a strand or two of the shawl yarn.
If you notice, a lot of shawls that don’t have any other fringe have a tassel at center back, and I think it’s just for the weight.