I am knitting a shawl for my dw. The pattern is from Mason-Dixon Knitting. You know, the one which changes colors every 2, 6, 9, or 18 rows and leaves you with millions and millions of tails to weave in.

My question is this: After the shawl is knit, I am to pick up stitches at each end and knit a ruffle. Except for symmetry, would it be necessary to bind off and then pick up stitches to knit the ruffle or could I just change colors, knit across, purl back and then start the ruffle and then cast off at the end of the ruffle? In my mind, it should look the same even though the cast on end would be structured differently.

Any ideas or comments?

I don't know the pattern, but from what you way it sounds like a fine idea. If it were me, I would also unpick the cast-on, for symmetry.

Bill,
Peggy has a good point. You might get more 'stretch' in the side that you didn't bind off, but instead just continued on with the ruffle. So if you can undo your cast on row, then the give in the fabric would be more even. If you can't, then you may want to consider binding off and then adding the ruffle afterwards.