Garter Tab Cast On: How to Start a Shawl (Step-by-Step Guide)
If you've ever cast on for a shawl and thought, wait, this can't be right, I'm just knitting a tiny rectangle, you're not imagining things. That little rectangle is called a garter tab, and it's exactly where most top-down shawls actually begin.
A garter tab cast on is a technique that creates a small, seamless garter stitch rectangle, then uses that rectangle to cast on the rest of your shawl's stitches, giving you a clean, symmetrical starting point with no visible seam at the center back neck.
It might not feel like "real" knitting yet. But just like my kid’s LEGO chassis for his LEGO cars, this is the part that everything “fun” gets built on.
Why Use a Garter Tab Cast On?
There are a few real benefits to using a garter tab cast on beyond "that's just how the pattern says to do it":
No visible seam at the center back. Because the tab itself becomes part of the finished fabric, there's no obvious cast-on line running down your shawl's spine the way there might be with other methods.
A built-in garter border. The tab naturally continues into the garter-stitch edge many shawls have along the top, so you're not adding a separate border later, it's already part of the structure.
Everything grows from one small, symmetrical starting point, which makes the increases on either side of the center stitch easier to track from row one.
It creates a strong foundation. The garter rectangle creates a stronger foundation at the part of your shawl that will experience the most wear & tear.
How to Work a Garter Tab Cast On (Step-by-Step)
Cast on 3 stitches using your preferred method (a simple long-tail cast on works well here).
Knit these 3 stitches for about 6 to 8 rows, forming a small garter-stitch rectangle. (Your pattern will specify the exact row count. It varies slightly by design depending on the stitch pattern repeat for the shawl.)
Rotate your work 90 degrees so you're now looking at the long edge of the little rectangle you just made. Pick up and knit 1 stitch into each garter ridge bump along that edge (typically 3–4 stitches, depending on your row count).
Rotate again to the cast-on edge at the bottom of the tab, and pick up and knit into those same 3 original cast-on stitches.
You'll now have all your stitches on the needle, ready to begin your shawl's first increase row — often a center stitch with increases worked on either side of it.
A working example
Cast on 3 sts.
Knit 8 rows.
K3, turn work, pick up & knit 4 sts, turn work, pick up & knit 3 sts - 10 sts
Set Up (WS) - K5, m1 (this creates the center spine stitch), k5 - 11 sts
(RS) K3, yo, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, yo, k3
(WS) Knit to end
(RS) K3, yo, k to center spine stitch, yo, k1, yo, knit to last 3 sts, yo, k3
(WS) Knit to end
Continue as established to start shawl body.
Work the shawl instructions you were provided.
Voila! You’re on your way with a really pretty & clean edging.
Tips for Working a Garter Tab Cast On
Use a stitch marker for your center stitch right away, even before the increases start — it's easy to lose track of exactly which stitch is your center once you're picking up along two different edges.
Don't worry if it looks tiny and a little awkward at first. A garter tab is supposed to look like a strange little scrap of fabric before it becomes anything — that's completely normal.
Count your ridge bumps carefully before picking up stitches. Picking up one too many or too few along the tab's edge is the most common place this technique goes slightly off, and it's much easier to recount now than several rows later.
Read through your full pattern's cast-on instructions once before starting, since exact stitch and row counts vary slightly by design — this isn't a one-size-fits-all number.
Design Information
Egret is a simple triangle shawl worked from the top down starting with a section in stockinette stitch. The lace panel section showcases an easy-to-memorize lace and rib stitch. The bottom edge of the shawl is worked in a 1x1 rib for a clean and minimal finish.
Knit in light-as-air Cattail Silk, a light-fingering weight 100% silk yarn, Egret will please all summer long and is a great transitional piece for those early fall days. The sample was knit in Moon White
Please share your progress on Instagram by tagging me @kirstenjoel_designs and using the hashtag #egretshawl. I love to see all of your works in progress and finished projects!
Where the Garter Tab Comes to Life: The Egret Shawl
This is exactly the technique that opens my Egret shawl. Once you're through the tab, you're straight into the increases that build Egret's signature shape — and that tiny, slightly odd-looking rectangle becomes the seamless foundation for the whole piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a garter tab cast on?
A garter tab cast on is a technique that starts with a small knitted garter-stitch rectangle, then uses stitches picked up along its edges to begin the main body of a shawl — creating a seamless, symmetrical starting point.
Why do shawl patterns use a garter tab instead of a regular cast on?
A garter tab avoids a visible seam at the center back neck and often builds in the garter-stitch border many shawls already have along the top edge, so the starting point and the border become part of the same continuous fabric.
How many stitches do I pick up along the garter tab edge?
This depends on how many rows you worked for your tab — typically one stitch per garter ridge along the long edge. Always follow your specific pattern's stitch count, since this varies by design.
Is the garter tab cast on difficult for beginners?
It looks a little unusual at first, but it's a straightforward, low-stitch-count technique — mostly about careful counting and rotating your work, not any advanced skill.
The Daily Reset
Before you rush past your next garter tab to get to the "real" knitting, give yourself a moment to enjoy this part too. The foundation isn't something to get through. It's already part of the thing you're making.
Learn how to choose a knitting pattern you'll actually wear, plus why fit details like positive ease and cup shaping matter — featuring the Tidal Creek Pullover.