Bias Knitting

This bias knitted swatch was achieved by increasing at one end of a row and decreasing at the other.  This keeps the number of stitches constant but slants them diagonally.

I cast on 3 stitches and then knitting in garter stitch increased at each end of the row until the swatch was the width I needed.  Then I decreased 1 stitch from the right hand side and increased 1 stitch on the left hand side on alternate rows.  Then when the swatch was long enough I decresed a stitch at the end of every alternate row until there are no stitches left.  The colours were inspired by a satellite view of a Saudi Arabian desert.

Bias knitting would achieve the same kind of drape as any bias fabric and chevron stripes are created using the same principles.

I got my instructions for the swatch from a course I did with Locaine Mclean who runs a City and Guilds knit course.  But for her I would never have tried things like this.