Making pleats

Welcome to my very first photo tutorial here on my Tricotbec blog!

I will demonstrate how to make the pleats for the Champs Fleuris shawl design, a technique you may adapt to any design to make pretty little ruffles.

What you will need for those pleats:

Your depth of ruffles already knitted and on the needles!
1 cable needle

First, make the required number of rows of purls and knits you need for the depth of your pleats.

Here I demonstrate the 5 knits / 4 purls I am using for the Champs Fleuris shawl (pictured from the WS).

Now, from the WS, work in pattern to the point were you will be putting your first stitches on a cable needle. In my example, it is purl 3 sts.

Slip the next 2 stitches on a cable needle.

Bring to the back of the work.

Now, purl the next 2 stitches together trough the front loop, one stitch from the cable needle and 1 stitch from the left hand needle.

Repeat for the next 2 stitches.

Now, slip the next 2 stitches on a cable needle, bring to the front and purl the next 2 stitches together trough the front loop (again 1 stitch from the cable needle and 1 stitch from the left hand needle).

Repeat for the next 2 stitches.

Purl 1 stitch (at the center of the pleat).

Repeat this process on the whole row, folding the fabric into a pleats. All that is left is the knit stitches (pictured from the RS), the purled stitches stays at the back of the fabric and are decreased by purling them together with the knit stitches on the previous row.

And this is what will give you the nice ruffles at the start of my Champs Fleuris!