The Magical, Wonderful, Beautiful Garter Stitch

I have just discovered the wonders of the garter stitch.  I've knit all of these years and kind of wrote the garter stitch off as something only beginners do or something not very stylish.  How can anything be good that reminds me of a snake? (garter stitch, garter snake, I know, if you have to explain it, it isn't funny.) But thanks to my Beacon Shawl and lots of time to ponder and ruminate at the Coastal Cottage, I have developed a new appreciation for the garter stitch.  The Beacon Shawl was done totally in garter stitch and it is sophisticated and beautiful.

What do you think?  Isn't it beautiful and it isn't even steamed yet.  It's hard to believe it's going to be even more beautiful.  

I did make one teeny, weeny change.  You all know how much I love pink.  Well, I made the pink the color along the bottom ( I took a picture of Beacon Shawl upside down, on the picture it is the color on the top) since that to me looks like the dominant color.  Remember, this is how it will be worn. . .  

So in your mind just think pink where the orange is and you have mine.  And I do mean it's mine.  I love it and know exactly what I am going to wear with it.  All this with just the garter stitch.  It could be a beginning knitting project except for some things that are a little awkward.  If you can cast on, bind off, do the knit stitch, M1L (make 1 left) and pick and knit stitches, you can do this.  You just have to trust the pattern.  It is a little awkward to knit the contrasting colors onto the main color, but it is doable.  I taken a few pictures of steps along the way. 

First, you knit the main piece (section 1) in garter stitch using a simple 6 row pattern.  The most difficult part is keeping track of which row you are on and how many stitches you have. I gave tips in the last post for that.

For section 2 you cast on stitches in contrasting color.  This is a little awkward.  I needed to go from a 5 needle to a 6 for the gray part but that didn't work for the contrasting color.  I needed to knit one row with a 6 and the next row with a 5 to get the right look in the contrasting color.  I really struggled at this point.  The 6 was too loose and the 5 was too tight but using one 5 and one 6 was just right (does this sound a little like a take on a children's story?)  From this point until the contrasting section 2 is finished, at times I have three different needles attached to the shawl; 1 needle with the live stitches at the bottom of section 1, a second needle with the live stitches that have been picked up along the edge to attach the contrasting color to and a third needle which is the size 5 to get the right gage for the contrasting color.  The more I think about it, maybe this isn't a beginning knitting project.  

This is what it looks like while you're doing section 2; knitting the contrasting color to section1. I must say I had a great time knitting the Beacon Shawl.  I can see myself knitting this again.  

I should have realized the power and beauty of the garter stitch after all one of my favorite designers and teachers, Sally Melville, wrote a whole book about it called The Knit Stitch.  Now that I think about it there are things about the garter stitch that I have always loved.  Like the fact the edges don't curl like with the stockinette stitch.  There edges are always flat and smooth.  The fabric knit in stockinette is always firm and strong.  It does take a lot more yarn to knit in garter than in stockinette.  

I am going to go work on my Silk Garden afghan which is also knit in garter stitch.  And Knit The Sky is also knit in garter stitch.  The garter stitch and gradient yarn, my two new obsessions.  I'll show you my Knit The Sky in the next post.