Shawl Geometry: Side to Side Triangle
This is the eight post in a series about different shawl shapes and how to knit them. All the posts in the series can be found right here.
Side to Side Triangle
To shape the Side to Side Triangle, you cast on at one corner, increase along one edge until you reach your halfway point, (the second corner), then you decrease along that same edge to your third corner.
This particular shaping is wonderfully versatile, and easily customizable. You can customize the number of stitches you cast on, the rate of shaping along the bottom edge (which changes the angle of the bottom point), and the symmetry or asymmetry of your whole shawl.
Explanation about different rates of shaping
Increase every row (left). Increase every 2nd row (top right). Increase every 4th row (bottom right).
One of the easiest ways to manipulate and customize the Side to Side Triangle is by varying the rate of your shaping.
You can do this by varying the number of rows you work between your shaping rows. Varying the number of rows you work between your shaping rows changes slope of the sides of your shawl, which in influences the angle of the bottom tip of your triangle.
The more often you work your shaping, the steeper the edge of your shawl will be. Conversely, the less frequently you work your shaping, (increasing the number of rest rows between shaping rows) the shallower your shawl’s edge will be.
Symmetrical Side to Side Triangle
Symmetrical shawl calculations
Determine your final gauge, desired length, and desired rate of shaping.
[Row gauge] x [desired length] = [# of rows]
[# of rows] / 2 = [# of rows in each shawl half]
[# of rows in each shawl half] / [desired rate of shaping] = [# of shaping reps to work in each shawl half]
Knitting Instructions
CO 3sts.
Set Up Row: k2, pm, yo, k1.
Increase Section
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Increase Row: k2, sm, yo, k to end.
Rep previous two lines to [# of shaping reps to work in each shawl half].
Decrease Section
Decrease Row: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Rep previous two lines to [# of shaping reps to work in each shawl half].
Final Row: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
Bind off loosely.
Knitting Instructions with shaping worked every 2nd row
CO 3sts.
Increase Section
R1: k2, pm, yo, k1.
R2: purl across.
R3: k2, sm, yo, k to end.
R4: purl across
Rep R3&4 to half desired length
Decrease Section
R5: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
R6: purl across.
Rep R5&6 to 3sts.
Bind off loosely.
Tips for using up ALL of your yarn
If you want to ensure that you get as much shawl as possible out of the yarn you have on hand, this is an excellent shawl shape to knit.
Use a kitchen scale to weigh your yarn before you start. Then work your increase section, as you’re knitting, weigh your yarn every couple of repeats. When you’ve reached half your original yarn weight, begin working your decrease section. Basing your knitting off of the weight of your yarn ensures that you use all your yarn.
If you’re a bit worried about having enough yarn to finish, begin your decrease section a couple of grams before you’ve fully used half your yarn. This gives you a bit of wiggle room for tension changes and to play yarn chicken with.
Asymmetrical Side to Side Triangle
You can also create an asymmetrical side to side triangle, simply by working either half of this symmetrical side-to-side shawl.
Point to End Asymmetrical Calculations
Determine your final gauge, desired length, and desired rate of shaping.
[Row gauge] x [desired length] = [# of rows]
Point to End Asymmetrical Knitting Instructions
CO 3sts.
Set Up Row: k2, pm, yo, k1.
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Increase Row: k2, sm, yo, k to end.
Rep previous two lines to desired dimensions and [# of rows].
Bind off loosely.
End to Point Asymmetrical Calculations
Determine your final gauge, desired length, desired depth at wide end, and rate of shaping.
[Row gauge] x [desired length] = [# of rows]
[Stitch gauge] x [desired depth at wide end] = [# of sts to CO]
End to Point Asymmetrical Knitting Instructions
CO [# of sts to CO].
Set Up Row: k2, pm, k2tog, k to end.
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Decrease Row: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
Rep previous two lines to 3sts, and until [# of rows] have been worked.
Bind off loosely.
The previous post: Triangle with Wings #1
The next post: Edge to Edge Squares
Shawl Geometry: Triangle with Wings #1
This is the seventh post in a series about different shawl shapes and how to knit them. All the posts in the series can be found right here.
Triangle with Wings #1 from the top down
The second variation on the traditional right angle triangle has “wings,” which makes the top edge of the shawl curve up around the shoulders helping the shawl stay in place more easily. This type of shawl is also occasionally called a heart shaped shawl, but I’ve always seen wings rather than a heart.
To shape a Triangle with Wings, you work the first half of your shawl as if you were working a Right Triangle, then at your halfway point, you increase the rate at which you work the shaping along your top edge, from every other row, to every row. This additional shaping produces the wings of your shawl.
Knitting Instructions
CO 7sts.
{4 border sts + 2 sections + 1 spine}
R1: k2, yo, k1, yo, pm, k1, pm, yo, k1, yo, k2.
R2: purl across.
R3: k2, yo, k to marker, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k to last 2sts, yo, k2.
R4: purl across.
Rep R3&4 to half your desired shawl depth.
R5: k2, yo, k to marker, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k to last 2sts, yo, k2.
R6: p2, yo, p to last 2sts, yo, p2.
Rep R5&6 to desired dimensions.
Bind off loosely.
Triangle with Wings from the bottom up
To create a bottom up triangle with wings is totally possible, but the math to figure out the number of stitches to cast on at your hem is a bit tricky. I found the easiest way to calculate the number of hem stitches was to think of the shawl in two halves: top & bottom.
For the top half of the shawl (which would be the second half you work) you’ll decrease 4 stitches every other row. For the bottom half of the shawl (the first half you work) you’ll decrease 6 stitches over two rows.
Calculating your row count
Determine your final gauge and desired depth along center back spine.
[Desired depth] / 2 = [Z]
[Z] x [1.4142] = [magic number]
[Magic number] x [row gauge] = [# of rows]
[# of rows] / 2 = [# of rows in each shawl half] AND [half # of rows in shawl]
Calculating your stitch count for the top shawl half
[half # of rows in shawl] / 2 = [# of dec rows in top shawl half]
[# of dec rows in top shawl half] x [4sts decreased per dec row] = [# of sts decreased in top shawl half]
Make sure this number is divisible by 4.
Calculating your stitch count for the bottom shawl half
[half # of rows in shawl] / 2 = [# of dec reps in bottom shawl half]
[# of dec reps in bottom shawl half] x [6sts decreased per dec rep] = [# of sts decreased in bottom shawl half]
Make sure this number is divisible by 6.
Calculating your cast on
[# of sts decreased in top shawl half] + [# of sts decreased in bottom shawl half] = [# of sts decreased total]
[# of sts decreased total] = [# of sts to CO]
Calculating your stitch marker placement
[# of sts to CO] / [2 shawl sections] = [# of sts in one section aka Y]
Knitting Instructions
CO [# of sts to CO].
R1: ssk, kY minus four, k2tog, pm, ssk, kY minus four, k2tog.
R2: p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
R3: ssk, k to 2sts before marker, k2tog, sm, ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog.
R4: p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
Rep R3&4 to [# rows in each shawl half] AND also until [# of sts decreased in bottom shawl half] have been decreased.
R5: ssk, k to 2sts before marker, k2tog, sm, ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog. R6: purl across.
Rep R5&6 to 4sts AND also [# of rows] have been worked.
Bind off loosely.
The previous post: Shallower Triangles
The next post: Side to Side Triangles
Shawl Geometry: Shallower Triangle
This is the sixth post in a series about different shawl shapes and how to knit them. All the posts in the series can be found right here.
The Shallower Triangle shape has the same shaping placements as the Right Triangle, however the rates of shaping are different.
Rather than working a pair of increases (or decreases) at the center spine and a single increase (or decrease) along either edge every other row – you work a pair of increases (or decreases) at the center spine every third row, and a single increase (or decrease) along either edge every row.
Shallower Triangle from the top down
Knitting Instructions
CO 7sts.
{4 border sts + 2 sections + 1 spine}
R1: k2, yo, k1, yo, pm, k1, pm, yo, k1, yo, k2.
R2: p2, yo, p to last 2sts, yo, p2.
R3: k2, yo, k to last 2sts, yo, k2.
R4: p2, yo, p to marker, yo, sm, p1, sm, yo, p to last 2sts, yo, p2.
R5: k2, yo, k to last 2sts, yo, k2.
R6: p2, yo, p to last 2sts, yo, p2.
R7: k2, yo, k to marker, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k to last 2sts, yo, k2.
R8: p2, yo, p to last 2sts, yo, p2.
R9: k2, yo, k to last 2sts, yo, k2.
Rep R4-9 to desired dimensions.
Bind off loosely.
Shallower Triangle from the bottom up
To work this shawl bottom up, first figure out how many hem stitches to cast on. Determine your gauge and how deep you want your shawl to be along the center back spine.
Calculating your cast on
Determine your final gauge and desired depth along center back spine.
[Desired depth] / 2 = [Z]
[Z] x [1.732] = [magic number]
[Magic number] x [row gauge] = [# of rows]
[# of rows] / [3 rows per dec rep] = [# of dec reps]
[# of dec reps] x [8sts decreased per dec rep] = [# of sts decreased]
Make this number a whole number that is divisible by 8.
[# of sts decreased] = [# of sts to CO]
Calculating your stitch marker placement
[# of sts to CO] / [2 shawl sections] = [# of sts in one section aka Y]
Knitting Instructions
CO [# of sts to CO].
R1: ssk, kY minus four, k2tog, pm, ssk, kY minus four, k2tog.
R2: p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
R3: ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog.
R4: p2tog, p to 2sts before marker, p2togtbl, sm, p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
R5: ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog.
R6: p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
R7: ssk, k to 2sts before marker, k2tog, sm, ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog.
R8: p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
R9: ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog.
R10: p2tog, p to 2sts before marker, p2togtbl, sm, p2tog, p to last 2sts, p2togtbl.
Rep R5-10 to 4sts.
Bind off loosely.
This variation creates a triangle that is shallower then the traditional triangular shawl, this makes it a bit easier to wear because you don’t need to make a blanket to make your shawl wide enough to warp around your shoulders comfortably.
The previous post: Right Triangle
The next post: Triangle with Wings #1
