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: Right Triangle
This is the fourth post in a series about different shawl shapes and how to knit them. All the posts in the series can be found right here.
Right Triangle from the top down
If you take a square and cut it in half diagonally, you’ll be left with two right triangles. So, working half of the shaping for a Square Knit in the Round, will give you a Right Triangle shawl.
The Right Triangle is shaped using a pair of increases (or decreases) down the center spine, and a single increase (or decreases) along either edge, all worked every other row.
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 desired dimensions.
Bind off loosely.
Right Triangle from the bottom up
Just like the Square Knit in the Round, can be worked from the center out and the hem in, this Right Triangle can be worked from the top down or the bottom up. This makes sense since a triangle is half a square.
Calculating your cast on
Determine your final gauge, and desired depth down the center spine.
[Desired depth] / 2 = [Z]
[Z] x [1.4142] = [magic number]
[Magic number] x [row gauge] = [# of rows]
[# of rows] / 2 = [# of dec rows]
[# of dec rows] x [4sts decreased per dec row] = [# of sts decreased]
Make sure this number is divisible by 4.
[# 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: purl across.
R3: ssk, k to 2sts before marker, k2tog, sm, ssk, k to last 2sts, k2tog. R4: purl across.
Rep R3&4 to 4sts.
Bind off loosely.
Both of these methods create shawls that are half squares and right triangles. Some people find these a little bit hard to wear in that they slide off the shoulders and are therefore a little bit fiddly. So over the next two weeks we’ll talk about two variations that I think are a little easier to wear, a Shallower Triangle and a Right Triangle with “Wings.”
These are simply the basics, backwards and forwards. These basics can then be manipulated and expanded upon and played with to create a myriad of other shawl shapes. However, these shapes are incredibly powerful on their own, add patterns & textures, lace, cables, knits/purls, color work, anything you can think of.
The previous post: Octagon Circle
The next post: Shallower Triangle
