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wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 08 4:21 pm Post subject: Casting on

I cast on as my mother taught me (so you can blame her) and it's pretty much knitting a stitch, and then not slipping it off the left needle and not taking the right needle out of the loop - sort of continuous knitting. But it tends to be very tight, and is a pain with socks and the like. I've tried using bigger needles, but there must be a better way to cast on? And off - that tends to restrict stuff as well.

Any suggestions?

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 08 4:51 pm Post subject:
I've just learnt to do long-tail cast on - google for instructions. It's a bit fiddly to start with, but quite easy once you've had a bit of practise.

alice

Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 2820

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 08 5:20 pm Post subject:
I cast-on with one needle in my right hand and using my LH thumb as the LH needle. I expect there is a name for it I always cast off too tight around the neck so I use a bigger needle than the one I'm knitting from - does that make sense? Anyway, it seems to do the trick

Samantha

Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 187
Location: In a field, North Yorkshire

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 08 5:41 pm Post subject:
I recently changed slightly and instead of going into the loop I go into the space between - it makes a nice looking cast on which is a wee bit looser.

Sherbs

Joined: 27 Apr 2007
Posts: 1931
Location: Swansea

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 08 7:41 pm Post subject:

alice wrote:

I cast-on with one needle in my right hand and using my LH thumb as the LH needle. I expect there is a name for it

I always cast off too tight around the neck so I use a bigger needle than the one I'm knitting from - does that make sense? Anyway, it seems to do the trick

This would be what patterns refer to as the Thumb Method then.

I just started knitting a jumper and, not having any idea what the TM was, I just did my usual cast on with 2 needles. I'm just hoping it won't be too small.

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 08 11:52 pm Post subject:
A continental cast on is good for socks as it's more stretchy but still firm. I think it might also be called a long tail cast on , but I'm not sure. I'll show you in Feb - give you a chance to finish up your other wips

jamila169

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 218
Location: North Derbyshire

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 12:08 am Post subject:

I've gone from only being able to knit on to being able to do 5 different cast ons in about a year, I think my knitting muscle has finally kicked in!
long tail is like a chain of slip knots made on one needle(I think thats the thumb method)
cable is where you put the needle between two made stitches to make your next one
double long tail is where you use a doubled tail and do the thumb thing again
figure 8 is for toe up socks
picot gives a nice edge put is a PITA
guernsey is similar but makes little knots (I only did that once, never again)
then theres the crochet cast on for the triangular shawls
whole nother language isn't it?

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 12:20 am Post subject:
I'm very scared now....

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 12:20 am Post subject:
But they're all useful (sigh) I regularly use continental cast on cable and the half cable/lace the waste stitch ones look useful too I need to concentrate on the cast off - it always looks wrong IMHO - fine if you are sewing up, but raw edges just look untidy

jamila169

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 218
Location: North Derbyshire

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 1:34 am Post subject:
I need to remember to cast off on different needles when I'm doing shoulders and such, I tend to let them get a bit tight, weirdly if i do a lace cast off or one with a doubled thread, it comes out fine,and I never have any problems with gauge, despite not putting any tension on my yarn

jamila169

Joined: 07 Sep 2008
Posts: 218
Location: North Derbyshire

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 1:35 am Post subject:
I'd come over and try to teach you sarah, but i'm a lefty and therefore crap at getting my head around the right way to do things

bernie-woman

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 8:33 am Post subject:
I always use long tail cast on unless it states any different in the pattern - it is quick and give you a nice even cast on which is easy to knit your first row on - There is a good video guide here

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 11:04 am Post subject:

jamila169 wrote:

I'd come over and try to teach you sarah, but i'm a lefty and therefore crap at getting my head around the right way to do things

Thanks hon, but I have the lovely KrisWW and she said she'll help teaching me stuff.

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 3:48 pm Post subject:

jamila169 wrote:

I'd come over and try to teach you sarah, but i'm a lefty and therefore crap at getting my head around the right way to do things

Oooh - I'm a leftie too

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 08 4:09 pm Post subject:

bernie-woman wrote:

I always use long tail cast on unless it states any different in the pattern - it is quick and give you a nice even cast on which is easy to knit your first row on -

same here, have to be careful to do it loosely enough though. I have a tendency to try and do it too tightly

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