Introducing Ladder Braid (and Merry Christmas)

I love Mary Thomas’s picot edging. I like having easy to count loops that won’t unravel when I have a lot to cast on, and I like the option to pick up their twins and knit in the other direction.  It’s like a stretchy, decorative provisional cast on.  I love the Provisional cast on too.

But, the stitches are offset by half.  What if we had a provisional braid that was easy to count, easy to pick up and knit in two directions and wasn’t offset by half?  Like a ladder or the front and back loops of the crochet chain stitch, but easier to see (and made on knitting needles).

Here is Ladder Braid, it does all that.

It also leaves funny ears on either of the swatch, and has funny bumps on the back.  Would they lie flatter if the return row was purled instead of knitted?  I haven’t experimented yet, so I can’t tell you.

Still, I like the symmetry.

Cast on 4 sts.

Row 1 (RS): K2tog, yo twice, ssk. (4 sts)
Row 2 (WS): K2, k tbl, k1.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are enough holes for your cast on.  Pick up and knit one long side, then when that half of your project is done, pick up and knit the other side.

I’m thinking this would work in the spine of a wrap that uses a stitch that only works in one direction.  To cover those ears, there could be a knit in picot selvage to pick up and knit on the long edge?  I’m only a beginning lace knitter/designer, but I sure like a guide when I’m picking up and knitting stitches.