I’m about to start my first steeking project. It’s a bracelet with garter stitch edges. Since both edges will show, I wanted to choose a cast-on with a matching bind-off. But I’m also used to the really clean look of tubular cast-ons for ribbing. Does anyone have any advice on what I should choose?
Techknitter has a post on matching bind-offs and she recommends the cable cast-on with a “stitch-over-stitch cast off”. Will this look good with garter stitch?
I’ve never done a cable cast on, but if it looks like the standard stitch over stitch bind off it will probably look good. That bind off makes a nice flat edge so, IMHO it would look fine with garter stitch. I’m not an expert knitter, though. I’ve only done 2 cast ons (knitted and long tail) and 1 cast off in my knitting carreer. You can always try it and see how it looks as you’re doing the rows of garter.
What about a provisional cast on? You can do that and bind off in whatever method you want. Then put needles back in the provisional cast on and bind off in the same method.
Yeah, I recall reading: That way they (both edges) have to match!
I’ve done that on scarves.
Thanks guys! 
I think I will do just the regular long tail cast on and knitted bind-off for the first one, especially as I anticipate mangling it when I go to secure the steek, but the provisional cast-on idea has gotten me thinking again about cast-on I had originally planned to use: channel island (great Eunny Jang clip).
I think the little beads would be a really sweet little detail since it is a bit more like a piece of jewelry than a sweater. But to address the issue of making both sides match, I was thinking that when I get to the point where I’m a row or two from the end garter stitch edge I could start a second piece with the channel island co and then kitchener stitch it to the bracelet. :figureditout:
Does that make sense?
It makes sense to me but sometimes I get odd ideas which lead to lots of frogging later. :doh:
Lastly, my google searches led me to this page from Ann Budd’s blog where she talks about a [B]Channel Island Bind-Off[/B] (
) described in Vintage Modern Knits. So, I’m wondering if anyone has this book and is the bind-off really as good as she says it is? I shouldn’t be buying knitting books right now, but I really want a matching bind-off. I’m already planning how to justify yet another knitting book purchase to Mr. Rie. 
I use (for better or worse) cable cast on for most things, I find the edge it leaves is great for sweaters/vests … but I may be doing the wrong thing. It works for me.
Wrong? I’m sending the knitting police to visit you! Hey, if it works, it must be right. I’ve used the cable cast on a lot too.
Any cast on would be correct on any garment in my opinion, most definitely.
However, there are lots of cast ons and bind offs out there and people are always trying to create new ones because each one has its own benefits that you may or may not want in a project.
For example, I made a pair of mittens for a friend of mine and I used Ysolda Teague’s tutorial on invisible tubular cast ons to give it an edge that, for the most part, could not be differentiated from the body of the ribbing as well as being very flexible. This gave it a more “finished” look but is no more “correct” than if I had used a long tail cast on.
This has become my regular cast on for most things with ribbing as its reasonably easy for me to do and is really stretchy. But I definitely still wear all the things I made before I started using this cast on.
Likewise, for the project I’m doing now, I want a decorative edging for the bracelet as both edges will be in constant view from different sides. So I want both edges to match and be as finished looking as the tubular cast ons and bind offs are for 1x1 and 2x2 ribbing. But I certainly don’t need them to be that way.
I just wish I knew someone who has done this Channel Island bind off because I will end up ordering this book if the library can’t get it for me. 
I know youtube has videos for the Channel Island CO, so maybe there’s some for the bind off too. Or look up Helen of Troy, both on Ravelry and youtube, she’s got a gazillion COs and BOs on her blog and in videos.
Yes, I’ve been doing some searching for it, but I haven’t gotten through everything yet. I’m not excellent at internet research mostly because I get distracted. Most seem to be for variations of the picot bind off, but I think that will be too big in this instance. I think I also just like collecting cast ons and bind offs!
Thank you for the Helen of Troy tip! Her blog looks great - there are six years of posts to dig through! 
She’s as thorough as techknitter but with swatches instead of computer drawings.
Thanks for the video links especially the Channed Island cast on from Eunny. The picot bind offs that I’ve seen aren’t quite as subtle as this cast on so you may need to play around with them if you decide to use one to balance the CICO. Really, a provisional cast on is ideal for perfectly matching edges. That way you could do the picot bind off on both edges.
I’m intrigued to see this bracelet. Do post a photo in progress or when you finish.
I’ll use a cable cast on in the middle of a row, like for doing button holes. But the ones I use most are the long tail cast on and the German Twisted cast on for hats, mittens, and gloves. I try to avoid provisional cast on’s if possible because I’m lazy. I probably spend more time trying to find ways to simplify patterns rather than just following the directions.
This is my little trick for getting the cast on and bind off rows to look the same like in garter stitch or when making scarves when you want the edges to match. I do a long tail cast on as usual for the beginning. At the end, I do the traditional bind off where you knit one and slip it over the next stitch. But instead of knitting this whole row, I bind off the whole row in purl. The two edges will match. It’s also a handy trick to prevent your bind off row from flaring out and looking wider than the cast on row. Both edges will be the same in width.
She does have a tutoial series on COs and one on BOs… lemme see if I can find them.
Cast ons - https://sites.google.com/site/oftroysgoldenapples/home/tutorials/cast-ons
Basic Bind offs - https://sites.google.com/site/oftroysgoldenapples/home/tutorials/cast-ons/basic-bind-off-s
Matching CO/BO - https://sites.google.com/site/oftroysgoldenapples/home/tutorials/cast-ons/matching-cast-on-s-and-bind-off-s
That is an interesting idea. I’m going to give that a try. 
I’m so obsessed with the CICO that I’m not sure if I can let go of the idea. Do you think my idea of grafting a end piece with the CICO will work? I decided to go ahead with the CICO for this first bracelet because I’m anticipating mangling the steek anyway, so I figure it doesn’t matter too much if the graft for the bind off piece is weird. I’ll definitely post some photos to this topic. I’ll try the picot cast on for my second bracelet if my idea doesn’t work. I’m also still working on getting a copy of Modern Vintage Knits from the library. I can’t wait to see what Ann Budd was talking about, but I think it must just be another version of the Picot bind off, because wouldn’t CIBO be on the internet somewhere? Maybe I have too much faith in the internet. 
Helen of Troy is the best! I think I might like her site better than techknitter now.
Helen calls herself the ‘Queen of Cast ons’ and she does have a large collection. Techknitter has a lot of different technical and how to information.
Now you have me intrigued about Modern Vintage Knits. Our library doesn’t have it in the system but I’d be interested in what you find. I think your idea of grafting should work just fine and it lets you use the cast on twice.
Just an update to show what the CICO looks like.
I’m terrible at taking photos and I apologize for my horrible thumb, but I couldn’t really lay this down because it curls up so badly right now as it’s knit on size 0 needles when the yarn calls for size 3. This makes me worried about the steek.
Anyway, there are more pics on Ravelry that show the cast-on and all the extra ends that go with it.
So far I like it but I think I might knit the next on larger needles and maybe change the edging as I notice that many other people’s edges are curling a bit.
Since this is a whimsical sort of pattern I’m thinking of these pewter moon face buttons. Too twee? Should I go with more antique looking buttons?
