Back when Threads was not strictly a sewing magazine (decades ago), there was a knitting article showing different methods for casting on.
One of them involved casting on half as many stitches as you needed, working several rows, then folding the work in half so you end up with the correct number of stitches per row, and the edge looks like a hem rather than a cast-on edge.
Can somebody tell me what this type of cast-on is called? I cannot remember the details, e.g., how to start, if it works for rib and stockinette, if the cast-on uses the same size needle as the rest of the work, etc.
Thank you!
Janet
Replies
Tubular cast-on technique sources
Dear Janet,
The cast-on you reference is called a "tubular" cast-on. It is my personal favorite cast-on because it is neat, flexible, and has a nice, rounded appearance. (There are also techniques to create deeper knitted hems in stockinette, useful for knitted skirt hems and such. Those hemming techinques usually require additional rows of stockinette to create a hem allowance, then a purl turning row at the hemline- where the purl row causes the hem allowance to fold naturally to the purl side of the work. But I digress!).
I recommend the book "Cast On, Bind Off: 211 Ways to Begin and End Your Knitting" by Cap Sease. Cap explains the tubular cast-on and variations. I could tell you the basics, but it really will help to see a good visual or illustration of the technique.
The story "Knitting a Perfect Rib" by Montse Stanley in Threads no. 15. Feb./Mar. 1988, includes two versions of the tubular cast-on, one for single rib, and another for double rib. However, I think that story over-complicates the technique with different size needles and yarn-overs. I prefer Cap's straightforward version.
There are also some free tutorials online. Craftsy has one by Terry Matz: https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/11/tubular-cast-on-tutorial
and you can find video versions on the Knitting Daily YouTube channel.
I hope that helps!
Best regards,
Sarah McFarland, Threads editor
This post is archived.