This cast on is basically a series of slip knots placed on your needle. It creates a very elastic edge and is great for the cuffs of socks, mittens, and sleeves plus anywhere else where you want a very stretchy edge. It works especially well with ribbing and adding stitches at the end of a row.
One important point when doing this cast on: you need to get the stitches snugged up close to each other – avoid gaps between the stitches as it will give an untidy looking edge.
Link to video:
I have finally finished my second pair of SFS (Socks for Soldiers) OD regulation socks. This pair was team knit with another SFS knitter who knit the legs on her circular sock machine. I am amazed at how long these socks are when they are finished.
While I was finishing up these socks, the President of SFS emailed a request out to members for cotton washcloths. So, since I needed a break from knitting on very small needles, I knit up three cotton washcloths to go along with the socks.
In addition to the socks and washcloths, I purchased a few toiletries and some non-perishable goodies to send as part of my package to SFS. All of this will get pooled with supplies from other knitters and placed into a larger shipment that will make its way to one of the military units on our list. It feels good to know that a soldier serving somewhere outside of the U.S. will be getting special treats from home.
A Provisional Cast On is a method for making a temporary cast on that can be removed later. The method I use requires a crochet hook and either waste yarn or an extra cable from a circular needle. If you are using waste yarn, you should use a slippery yarn in a contrasting color so that the cast on stitches can be easily removed.
Where this cast on is used:
To make the Provisional Cast On use a crochet hook the same size equivalent as your knitting needle. Start by making a slip knot with waste yarn and placing it on the crochet hook.(This does not count as a stitch.) Hold your knitting needle in your left hand and the crochet hook in your right hand. Make a stitch over the needle or cable by holding the yarn strand under the needle and taking the crochet hook over the needle, grabbing the strand and pulling it through the loop on the crochet hook. Repeat this process until you have the desired number of stitches.
If you are a crocheter, you can do a Provisional Cast On by making a crochet chain and then knitting into the bumps on the back of the chain. Tips: 1) Make the chain longer than the desired number of stitches; 2) Use a crochet hook one or two sizes larger than the knitting needle you will be using to make it easier to go into the bumps.
Links for Provisional Cast Ons:
The first three swatches for the Master Knitter Level I require you to knit 2 X 2 ribbing, 1 X 1 Ribbing, garter stitch, stockinette stitch and seed stitch. As I have been knitting the first two swatches for the Master Knitter Level I, I have discovered that my tension is not what I thought it was: I thought I knit fairly evenly– but as I looked at the examples from TKGA — I began to realize that my knitting tension is not the same when I knit as when I purl. This seems to be a common issue among those who are working on the Level I Master Knitter swatches.
I have tried several different things to correct this problem — but so far I am still not knitting as evenly as I want. I have discovered that my knitting is less even with bamboo needles than with metal needles. I have also determined that it is very important to tighten up my tension at the end of a row — especially on the last stitch, so that I get more even stitches on the edges of the swatch. However — I have yet to achieve the even stitches for ribbing that I’d like to have.
Did you know that tension in ribbing — that it is, tension differences between knit and purl stitches — can really make a difference in the way your ribbing appears? I’d never given this much thought — but it really does effect how the ribs in the ribbing are formed. I have read (very recently) that this more of a problem for English knitters than for Continental knitters — but that it happens with both styles. The problem is often due to the excess yarn used in forming the purl stitch. The next time you are switching between knit and purl stitches — pay attention to how you wrap the yarn for the purl stitch — you actually do use slightly more yarn when doing a purl.
I am still seeking solutions for my tension problems — I’ll post about how I resolve this.
