Working out Kinks and Fingering Yarn

My favorite way to start a piece of knitting is the long-tail cast on. It produces a row of stitches on a nice sturdy base, which is both attractive and firm enough to keep its shape while I divide the work onto other needles. It’s one of those techniques that is easy and fluid once you get the hang of it, but hard to learn from books and online sources because the explanation is tough going. So … here’s one more attempt at putting the long tail cast on into words:

Some clarification:
A. These instructions assume you’re right handed.
B. This is called the “long tail cast on” because you need to start with a tail of yarn that is long enough to work all of your stitches, but not so long that yarn is being wasted or getting in the way when you’re ready to start knitting. Calculating the length of the tail is an art. The short, get-the-job-done version is to make the tail about 3.25 times the length of the first row, so if the first row is supposed to be 10 inches long, the tail should be about 32.5 inches. This is a little on the generous side, but it’s easier to weave and snip than to have to start over when the yarn runs out. For this example, use a tail that is 1 ft or 30 cm long. This means the slip knot in Step 1 is a foot or 30 cm from the end.
C. Once you feel comfortable with this cast on, you can get started simply by twisting the yarn around the needle instead of making a slip knot.

1. Tie a slip knot around the needle, and hold the needle in your right hand. For this cast on, there is only one needle, and it is always in your right hand.
2. Position your left hand as if you were holding a glass of water. The thumb and index finger form an open circle, and the side of your hand (your pinky) is what would rest on a table if one were in front of you.
3. Lay the yarn over your thumb and index finger. The ball end goes over your index finger. The tail goes over your thumb. The needle is pointing left and resting on the side of your hand, roughly where the thumb and index finger meet.
4. Curl the middle, ring, and pinky fingers of your left hand into the palm, tucking the two hanging strands of yarn into them. When you do, the yarn in your left hand forms a down-pointing triangle. There’s a horizontal line between your thumb and index finger, a diagonal line from index to middle finger, and another diagonal line from thumb to middle finger. The needle is on top of the horizontal line, resting both on the yarn and on the side of your left hand. Use the curled fingers to put a little tension on the yarn as you work the remaining steps.
5. Rotate the needle so that it is pointing at you. It passes over the horizontal line, so the triangle is still fairly in tact.
6. Bring the tip of the needle down, stopping when it touches the fleshy part of your palm at the base of your thumb. The needle is between you and the yarn
7. Slide the tip of the needle up your thumb, stopping when the tip of the needle is on the tip of your thumb. The needle tip has slid behind the leg of the triangle that goes from thumb to middle finger. By the time the tip of the needle reaches the tip of the thumb, it is inside a loop that surrounds the thumb.
8. Describe a circle with the tip of the needle, moving it away from you and over the strand that is between the needle and your index finger, then down behind that strand, then toward you and under that strand, then back to the tip of your thumb.
9. Slide the tip of the needle down your thumb and back into the big loop of yarn surrounding it, stopping when the needle tip reaches the first bend in your thumb.
10. Pull your thumb out of the big loop, and in the same movement, use your thumb to catch and tug on the yarn that is between the needle and your middle finger. The gesture is like opening a pair of scissors to cut. This tug tightens the loop on the needle.
11. Move the needle back to the starting position, on top of the horizontal line of the inverted triangle, and repeat Steps 5 to 11.

As the cast-on becomes familiar, it softens into a series of curves, the needle tip arcing down and up, the thumb bending forward and stretching back, until the movements stop being separate and merge into one graceful sweep.

 Casting on is the term used in knitting for setting up your first row of stitches. There are many different ways to cast on. These instructions are for the first method I learned. I would recommend using slightly larger needles to learn how to cast on. Something in the size range of US 9 to 11 should be good. You’ll also need some scrap yarn to practice with. Any simple yarn such as Cascade 220, Red Heart or Simply Soft will do. Don’t use anything too fluffy or fuzzy for your first time. You will have plenty of time later to experiment with different yarns.

Knit On Cast On

Special trick for understanding step 3. Do this before beginning step 1. Especially for blind people.

Hold both needles together so that the points are facing up toward the ceiling. Place slip knot over both needles and hold your yarn coming from the ball to the right side of the needles. Pull the yarn so the slip knot is snug. Hold both needles in your right hand with your thumb holding the slip knot in place. Twist the needle on the left so that it crosses in front of the one on the right. You should have an X shape. This is the way your stitch should look after step 3. Take special note of how you would have to insert the right needle to achieve the same affect. Remove the slip knot and begin with step 1.

Step 1

Make a slip knot. To learn how to make a slip knot see Tutorial: Slip Knot

Step 2

Place slip knot on left hand needle and adjust to fit. This will be considered your first stitch. Do not tighten it too much. You need to be able to get your other needle through it too.

Step 3

Insert the point of the left hand needle through the stitch from front to back. The right needle should be underneath the left needle. See Special trick above. Needles should be crossed about 1 or 2 inches from the tips.

Step 4

Use your left index finger to hold the right needle in place and let go with your right hand.

Step 5

With your right hand wrap the yarn coming from the ball around the

Right hand needle tip in a counter clockwise direction. Imagine the clock is laying face up on your lap with the 12 on your knees and the 6 at your stomach. The end of the yarn should end up back on the right side of the needle. Then drop the yarn and put your right hand back on the right needle.

Step 6

Pull the wrapped yarn through the loop on the left needle with the right needle tip. It helps if you pull the needles apart just a wee bit so that your wrapped yarn can get in between them. Put the needles back together and then keep the right needle tip lightly touching the left needle continuously as you draw it through the stitch to keep from losing your yarn. Use your left index finger to hold the stitch on your left needle in place.

Step 7

Keep pulling the yarn until you have about 3 inches between the needles. Rotate the needles so that they are parallel to each other with both points pointing at the ceiling. This should not take a very big motion.  You should be able to hold them about 3 inches apart without much give in the yarn between the needles. Hold the needles so that your index fingers and thumbs are holding the stitches on each needle.

Step 8

Being sure to hold your loops in place turn the left needle clockwise so that it points straight to the right. You’ll need to hold the needles so that the yarn stays taught. Your left needle tip will be pointing at your right needle.

Step 9

Put the point of the left needle through the large loop on the right needle from the front. It helps if you press the loop open a little by pushing the yarn up with your right thumb while still holding the stitch in place from behind the needle with your index finger.

Step 10

Pull your right needle out of the loop while making sure the loop stays on the left needle. Snug up the stitch by pulling on the yarn coming from the ball. You should have 2 stitches on the left needle and none on the right needle.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You’ve made your first cast on stitch. Repeat steps 3 through 10 to cast on more stitches. Always be sure to insert the right needle into the last stitch from the front left side of the stitch.

To learn how to make a knit stitch check out the following link.