Garter tab cast-on | Knitting tutorial

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Learn how to knit the garter tab cast-on for a triangle shawl.

Garter tab cast-on is used to begin a top-down triangular shawl. This technique creates a small garter stitch rectangle, that looks like the garter stitch border of a traditional shawl. This way the top edge looks very smooth.

You will find the photo tutorial for the garter tab cast-on below.

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Step 1: Cast on 3 stitches using the long tail cast-on.

Step 2: Place a removable marker in each of the 3 cast-on stitches, this will help identify the cast-on stitches later.

Step 3: Now knit 6 rows. Once complete, you will have a long thin rectangle worked in garter stitch. 

Step 4: Rotate the tab 90 degrees clockwise and look closely – you will see 3 purl bumps along the garter edge of the rectangle.

Pick up each bump and knit.

To do so, simply pick up the bumps with the left-hand needle, insert the right-hand needle into the first bump, wrap the yarn around the needle as if to knit, and pull it through to create a stitch. Repeat this process with the 2 remaining bumps.

You will have 6 stitches on your right-hand needle.

Step 5: Now pick up and knit the cast-on stitches – the markers will help you find them.

Again, pick up the cast-on stitches with the left-hand needle (you can take off the markers at this point), insert the right-hand needle into the first stitch, wrap the yarn around the needle as if to knit, and pull it through to create a stitch. Repeat with the 2 remaining cast-on stitches.

You will have 9 stitches on your right-hand needle.

That’s it, the garter tab cast-on is done, and you can begin knitting your new triangular shawl.

Here is a mini-shawl for you to see, how the garter tab cast-on looks.

I hope you found this basic bind-off tutorial useful. Be sure to check out other knitting tutorials!