Modifications: Second prototype invisible i-cord tab cast on, i-cord edge, increases changed to yo’s which are knitted through the back loop on the next row.

Invisible i-cord cast-on shawl tab explained at length below; also see first prototype on my other Viagante.

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Invisible I-cord Cast-On Shawl Tab

I’ve been puzzling out prototypes for a “provisional i-cord tab” (like a shawl garter tab) for lack of a better term because I think it would look slick. ;)

If you try this for yourself, be sure not to work the i-cord stitches tightly (or pull the yarn tight after slipping them) as each edge stitch has to stretch twice as far as the rest. The good news is this should also help keep the neck edge from stretching out under the weight of it when worn poncho-style.

Setup: Using Judy’s Magic Cast On, cast on 3 sts onto larger circ (+ 3 opposite-direction sts held in reserve on cable of other needle).

Slide the 3 active sts along circ to the other tip, so that working yarn comes from st farthest from the needle tip, with RS facing.

Careful not to twist stitches, ktbl across, then slip 3 stitches back to left needle with RS facing.

* kfb, k2, slip 3 sts back to left ndl, repeat from * twice more until 3 stitches have been added (6 active sts + 3 held in reserve). See the middle section of this Whimsical Knits photo tutorial, but my beginning and end are different.

Drop working yarn, slip more 3 sts to left ndl so that all 6 active sts are on left needle tip (working yarn comes from stitch farthest from tip). With RS still facing, undo provisional cast-on if applicable or slide reserve stitches to right tip of secondary needle and slip these stitches to left tip of larger needle, ensuring sts are not twisted. (9 sts all on one needle).

If there is an excess of slack in the reserve/provisional sts, take a moment to shift the slack to the tail so the i-cord stitches are even but not tight.

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Transition from cast-on to pattern rows:

Option 1 for one-row repeats after setup but with very slight assymmetry is NOT pictured here, first prototype used on my other Viagante and explained over there)

Option 2 for 2-row repeat after setup, and better symmetry (shown here) continuing from “… (9 sts all on one needle)” above:

Slide all stitches to other tip so working yarn comes from the stitch nearest the tip. Turn work (for the first time), and prepare to switch to smaller needle for the rest of the garter section.

Row 1 (using smaller working needle): Slip 2 with yarn in front, k2, place marker, k1, place marker, k2, place marker, sl 2 wyf, turn (9 sts)

Row 2: k2, sl marker, yo, k to marker, yo, sl marker, k, sl marker, yo, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 3: sl 2 wyf, kbl, k to st before marker, kbl, sl marker, k1, sl marker, kbl, k to last 3 sts, kbl, sl marker, sl 2 wyf. (ie, knit all yo’s from previous row through the back loop to close eyelets)

Rep rows 2 and 3 for garter section

Note on increase of choice: The kfb increase is not as symmetric as a increase made been two stitches, and the lifted-stich-below increases (llinc/lrinc can sometimes tighten fabric too much when worked in a column (ask me how I know). As the slipped-stitches of the i-cord edging can also be too tight, I don’t want to risk compounding the problem. So, I suspect the best-looking increases for this version are the backwards-loop m1 used in pattern, or similar techniques like yo knitted through the back loop on the next round, or the lifted-bar-twisted m1 (or m1r/m1l), both of which I personally find less disruptive to the flow of my knitting.

These cast-on directions have only been test-knit by me so far. If you try this method, please let me know how it works!

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Join:

Any basic joining in the round would work, but I also experimented a little with this step. This stacked decrease join is more reinforced, to avoid a strained single strand or regular decrease taking all the strain of giving birth to a head:

After last increase row (row 2), turn and work row 1 once more, but stop after slipping the edge marker, before slipping the last two stitches. Set up needles to join in the round, so that last two stitches of the row and the start of the row are adjacent on the left needle.

Sl last 2 sts together knitwise, twisting left over right. Place new last st on left needle, k2tog with first st of row (joining in the round), pass 2nd-last stitch from right needle over this join st, slip join st back to left needle, pass 2nd st on left needle over join st. Four edge stitches decreased into one center st. Place end-of-round marker, slip join st back to right needle.

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Body:

Join st now becomes a center buffer st between decreases at end-of-round, to match the increase side and to help avoid the ladders that often tend to develop between paired columns of decreases:

Switching to larger needle, work Body Round 1 as written, but omitting “pm” (marker is in place)
Round 2: k1 (added central st at end of round), then work round 2 as written (or with preferred increases)
Round 3: as written (or with preferred increases)

After joining in the round, I knit an inch, then transferred stitches to a lifeline and soaked and blocked it. It grew about 2” in circumference, so I ripped back to the join and about an inch of the garter, then joined again.

Then I really didn’t like how sloppy and stretched the increase columns looked, so extensive swatching led me to this smooth, clean, and tight solution:

Row 2: … k until 2 stitches before marker, m1r, k 2, sl m, k centre stitch, sl m, k 2, m1l, work rest of row as written
Row 3: … k to marker, m1r, sl m, k centre stitch, sl m, m1l, work rest of row as written

I am using m1r and m1l as explained in this phototutorial.