Cast-on… for now
One of the things I really want to learn to do properly is a provisional cast-on. I often knit double sided, reversible hats (it’s -30C/-21F outside as I right this), and I’d like to be able to have a seamless union. Up to now I’ve been knitting one hat, then picking up stitches from it to start the second hat (see an image of one in the making here).
I’ve tried doing the Looped Cast-on, but I just couldn’t join in the round with it (my stitches at the beginning and end where too loose). It was just a mess.
Recently I’ve discovered some other methods I’m going to try next time:
- Chained cast-on: You crochet a row of stitches into your needle with scrap yarn. The scrap yarn can then be easily removed. Here’s a video of a similar technique.
- COWYAK: In this method you knit a couple of rows with scrap yarn, and when you are ready to remove it, you snip the yarn and then remove it.
- Judy’s Magic Cast-on: Using two needles, you cast-on in one and purl your first row at the same time (you’d have to see the video to get it).
I think I’ll try some variation of the crocheted cast-on first. It’s not very labor intensive, and I think it will work for knitting in the round. COWYAK seems like it will also work for knitting in the round, but I’m lazy so I don’t want to have to work more than one row with scrap yarn. Judy’s method seems quite intriguing, but I think I’ll end up having the same problems when trying to join in the round.
I’ll let you know how that goes.