Technique Tuesday–Casting On

On Tuesdays, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite knitting techniques and I might occasionally get Patrick to write about crochet!  These might be things to make your project go faster, tips to make something look a little neater, or a fancy technique to make your fiber projects amazing!  There are lots of great resources out there to help us learn lots of new things to do with yarn, so I won’t be trying to teach you a technique on this blog, but I’ll tell you why I like it and give links to where you can learn more about it.  And, don’t forget, that you can always stop by The Knitting Nest (after August 23rd) to ask questions and get help.

Today, we’ll start with the foundation of knitting – casting on.  Casting on is the process of putting stitches on the needle so that you can then knit and/or purl in rows to make a fabric.  There are a number of ways to cast on, each with it’s advantages and disadvantages.

1. The long-tail cast-on.  I use this cast-on when I need a stretchy edge, like when making socks or hats.  It also has the advantage of casting on and knitting the first row at the same time, so it’s a more substantial cast-on.  The disadvantages are that it’s easy at first to over or under-estimate the amount of yarn that you need for it.  It’s quite often the first cast-on taught, so most knitters have been exposed to it.  Here’s a link with pictures and here’s a link that includes video.

2. The knitted cast-on (or knitting on).  I prefer this cast-on for most projects, mostly because I don’t have to worry about estimating the right length for the tail (as in the long-tail cast-on).  However, it’s not very stretchy.  Here is the link with video.

3. The cable cast-on.  The difference between this and the knitted cast-on is that you put the needle tip between the last two stitches on the needle to get the loop of yarn instead of through the front of the last stitch.  It is a little stretchier than a knitted cast-on, but a bit more cumbersome, so I don’t often use it.  Here is a link with pictures – and you’ll note that she talks about knitted cast-on and cable cast-on together.  And here is a link with video.

4. The backward loop (or thumb) cast-on.  I almost never use this cast-on to begin a project.  It is easy to learn and to do, but it is difficult to knit the stitches evenly and you are often left with some leftover yarn at the end of the first row.  But, some people do like it and it is useful for lace knitting, so here is the link with video and here is the link with pictures (and some commentary).

The world of the cast-on is vast and I’ll return to this topic later with discussion of casting on extra stitches at the end of a row or in the middle of a row, provisional cast-on, and more.  So, stay tuned!

If you need help with any of these techniques, don’t hesitate to stop by The Knitting Nest!