One of my favorite cast ons lately is the German Twisted Cast On. (Don’t ask me why it is called “German”, maybe it originated there!)
This cast on is a variation of a long tail cast on. It is stretchier than a regular long tail cast on, so it is especially good for the top of a sock, the beginning of a mitten cuff, or a hat cuff.
If you find that your own regular long tail cast on tends to be a bit too tight (yes, you are out there!), try the German Twisted Cast On instead.
I have two ways of showing students how to do this cast on. Some people find this way of casting on a bit challenging, so take a look at these two videos which both produce the same German Twisted Cast On.
While this cast on takes a bit more time and practice, the result is worth it.
So many cast ons, so little time… Two of the MCCOs (Most Common Cast Ons): the Backwards Loop Cast On and the Long Tail Cast On.
Beginning knitters are usually taught how to do a “backwards loop” cast on first. Other names for this cast on are: e-wrap, thumb, half hitch, and loop. Whew. I am sure there are many more names for this easy cast on, depending on where you live and who taught you to knit, but I will leave it up to you to find more. I am slightly dizzy after thinking of just those few. A backwards loop cast on begins with a slip knot:
There are pros and cons to the backwards loop cast on. This cast on can become very loose if the needles are pulled too far apart during the first row of knitting. Consistency in the loops is difficult to maintain, but it is by far the easiest cast on to master, especially for young children learning to knit. Because the edge is likely to be loose, it is a good cast on for underarms or necklines with the knitting already in progress. Usually these areas are finished with a seam or edging, so the e wrap cast on will not be visible.
The “long tail cast on” is probably the most common of all cast ons. Other names for this cast on are two strand, thumb, and sling shot. It makes a decent looking edge, it is fairly stretchy and it can be done quite quickly once learned. It is a bit tricky for the newest knitters, and takes a bit of practice to get it even and loose. I have almost never seen a long tail cast on that is too loose; usually the problem with this cast on is that it is too tight. Because you are working with two strands of yarn, (the “working” yarn and the “tail”), this cast on cannot be done with the work in progress unless you are willing to add another piece of yarn as the tail, and that is just a bit silly, now, isn’t it?
The chief query among knitters is “How long should the tail be?” In short, nobody knows. Sorry about that. There are myriad tricks for estimating tail length, from wrapping the yarn around the needle, estimating 1″ of tail for every stitch and so on. Because I have been doing this a long time, I will confess: I just guess. If I waste some yarn by guessing too much, oh well. I usually only run out of the long tail when the yarn is very bulky. (Big yarn, big needles, more long tail is needed.) The thumb seems to use less yarn than the forefinger, so one tip is to place the tail over the thumb and the working yarn over the forefinger. You can also try estimating how many inches the cast on will be and triple that number for the length of the tail. So, a scarf that is 8 inches wide would need 24 inches worth of tail. You are welcome to experiment with any method you like!! Get back to me when you have the definitive answer! Finally, if you are casting on a lot of stitches, (say more than 90), and the yarn is precious, use two skeins of yarn, one as the “tail” and one as the “working yarn”.
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