Ad Finitum Triangular Shawls class

If you stash or spin, then sometimes what you have is all there is. We will look at how to knit triangular shawls without running out of yarn. We’ll consider the pros and cons of top-down, bottom-up, and side-to-side construction and simple variants that stay put on your shoulders. We will look at how to knit until you run out of yarn or swatch so that you know your limits. Included is a refined version of garter tab cast-on and the more obscure trivia cast-on. If you have been thinking about designing your own shawl, this class will give you the initial building blocks.

Skill level is intermediate.
Prerequisite: Students should know how to knit, purl, increase, and decrease.

What you will learn:
trivia cast-on
garter tab beginning
where to increase to produce various shapes
how to use a scale for yarn management and project planning
considerations for edge treatments
notches to improve wearability
There will be shawls to try on so you can decide what you like best.

Maximum 20 students.

½ day workshop

Students receive a handout in booklet form.

No materials fee.

No homework.

Supplies:

• class yarn (smooth, non-splitting, light or bright or medium color) for swatching
• needles to work that yarn (short dpns very helpful but not required)
• stitch markers
• waste yarn for vertical lifelines and provisional cast-on

I bring 6 different swatches to show variations on garter tab cast-on as well as variations on edgings. I also bring 3 different "notch" shawls as well as a variety of triangular and related shawl shapes.

No special needs for the room set up. A whiteboard or flip chart is nice to have but not need to have. I have a projector if the facilities can accommodate it. Access to a full-length mirror is nice to have but not need to have. Room set-up should be tables and chairs either facing forward or in a U-shape.

This class was previously called Waste Not: Shawls or Waste Not: Triangular Shawls.

This class has been taught at
STITCHES South 2014, Atlanta GA;
Georgia FiberFest 2015, Columbus GA;
Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair 2015, Fletcher NC;
Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair 2016, Fletcher NC;
Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival 2021, Pittsburgh, PA;
Carolina Fiber Fest 2022, Raleigh NC.