Kephren Pritchett

Tag: cast-on

  • The Amazing Invisible Provisional Cast On and Its Many Uses

    The Amazing Invisible Provisional Cast On and Its Many Uses

    One of my favorite cast-on methods is one you can’t see. The Invisible Provisional Cast On can be worked with a bit of smooth waste yarn, a spare circular needle or cord, or sometimes just one circular needle. It allows the knitter to cast on stitches and knit in one direction, then come back to the cast-on stitches and knit in the other direction without creating a visible seam or change in the fabric. It is virtually undetectable in most cases and indispensable for seamless knitting. While it’s not an all-purpose cast-on, there are a few special applications that I find this cast-on method absolutely perfect for. I’d love to know if you are familiar with this cast on and what you use it for. Tell me in the comments!

    Top-Down Underarms

    For this method I use the same waste yarn that I use to hold my sleeve stitches to cast on the underarm stitches. When I go back to pick up and finish my sleeves the provisional cast-on stitches can be placed on the needle along with the held stitches. I like to start my sleeves at one side of the underarm cast on, but you can start in the middle if you want to. There will be one stitch more than there was cast on for the body. I like to pick up a second extra stitch on the opposite side from where I started, then I decrease both of these stitches to close the gaps usually found there. Pay attention to the stitch mount because every other stitch will have its leading leg on the back of the needle, and be sure to work these stitches through the back loop so they won’t twist. I have a step-by-step tutorial in this blog post.

    The middle row of purl stitches in this underarm was cast on using the Invisible Cast On

    Toe-Up Socks

    My favorite way to make socks is from the toe up, two-at-a-time, on a circular needle. After trying other methods, I decided the Invisible Provisional Cast On is the perfect method to achieve neat and even stitches at start of the toe. For this method, I fold my circular needle in half and use the cord in place of waste yarn. A slipknot is placed on the cord and then the cast on is worked over the needle and the cord. I like to knit my socks two-at-a-time, so after the first sock is cast on I place a twisted loop on the needle to hold those stitches in place and cast on the second sock. To join in the round I turn and knit across the stitches I just cast onto the needle, turn, and work across on the provisionally cast-on stitches.

    One sock is cast onto the needle with the provisional stitches held by the cord.
    Place a twisted loop on the needle to hold the stitches in place.
    Both socks are cast on and ready to work in rounds.
    The cast on is invisible!

    Garter Tab Cast On

    To start a garter tab with the Invisible Provisional Cast On I fold my circular needle in half and cast on 3 stitches using the cord to hold the provisional stitches. Then I work back and forth in garter stitch until my tab is long enough. The first row after casting on and the last row before picking up stitches should both be right-side rows. After you’ve picked up the correct number of stitches from the side edge of the garter tab you can just slide the provisionally cast-on stitches up to the needle tip, drop the slipknot, and work the stitches paying attention to the stitch mount so they don’t get twisted.

    This shawl starts with a garter tab using the Invisible Cast On
    Provisionally cast on 3 stitches
    Turn and start knitting back and forth
    Keep knitting until the garter tab is the right length
    pick up stitches along the side edge
    drop the slipknot and knit the 3 provisionally cast on stitches

    The Moebius Cast On

    Cat Bordhi uses the Invisible Cast On to work a Moebius from the center out in her book A Treasury Of Magical Knititng and Craftsy class. The same provisonal cast on is used with the cord holding the provisional stitches, but instead of folding the cord in half the needle is looped back over itself to create a Moebius ring.

    Thank you for knitting!

    Resources

    Knit Picks Traditional Provisional Cast On (photo tutorial and video)

    Suzanne Bryan’s video demonstrating the Invisible Cast On over a spare circular needle

    My Instagram story showing how I use the Invisible Cast On for top-down underarms

  • The Invisible Provisional Cast-On

    The invisible provisional cast-on is probably the easiest and fastest way to cast on, once you get the hang of it. To start, you’ll need the needle and yarn you are using for your project, and a spare circular needle or smooth waste yarn for holding the provisionally cast on stitches. If you are using waste yarn to hold your stitches, make a slip knot with both yarns held together and place it on the needle. This is only used to hold the yarn in place and doesn’t count as a stitch.

    The waste yarn is held over the thumb and the working yarn is held over the forefinger, similar to a long tail cast-on.

     

    The needle goes under the waste yarn from front to back…

     

    over the working yarn from back to front…

     

    and back to front under the waste yarn. One stitch cast on.

     

    For the next stitch the working yarn goes over the needle, just like a yarn over.

     

    Two stitches cast on.

     

    1. Under the waste yarn…

     

    2. over the working yarn…

     

    3. back under the waste yarn.

     

    4. Yarn over the needle.

     

    Two more stitches cast on.

    Repeat 1-4 until you have cast on all the stitches you need. If you need an odd number of stitches, repeat 1-3 once more.

    When you are ready to pick up the provisionally cast on stitches, Slip them onto the needle following the path of the waste yarn, then pull out the waste yarn. You will notice that every other stitch is mounted with the right leg to the back of the needle. You will have to turn the stitches the right way around by working into the back loop on the first row.

    Slip the provisionally cast on stitches onto the needle.

    Work into the back of every alternate stitch to prevent them being twisted.

     

     

    When worked in stockinette or garter stitch the provisional cast-on is completely invisible. I like to use this cast-on for toe-up socks, top-down hats, and the underarms of top-down sweaters. This is also the same cast-on used for Moebius knitting.

    Thank you for knitting!