Casting on newbie here

#1

Hello :slight_smile: I just used the long tail cast on method that I learned from the video on this site. It mentioned that that first row of knitting could be considered the first row of the working knitting project if the first row is to knit. I just started a pattern that has the first row as the knit stitch and wanted to make sure that I can skip that first row in the pattern. I just saw that there is also a knitting on cast on method and am wondering if it is the same thing, just worked differently.?

Can I skip the first row of knitting since the long tail cast on produces a first row of the knit stitch?

#2

Welcome!

Most patterns don’t consider the cast on as the first row. You cast on and then work the first row of the pattern.

There [I]is[/I] some disagreement as to whether the cast on is considered a knitted row, obviously, but as far as patterns are written, row one is row one–the first one you work. I stick with that, and I believe most people do.

Your cast on method is a matter of preference.

#3

Ok thank you :slight_smile:

#4

I agree with Ingrid. I don’t believe most patterns consider the cast on as a row. But some people prefer one side of the cast on over the other to appear on the outside of the item. If you are beginning with stockinette stitch (which you don’t a large portion of the time) I was taught that the first row of your St st should be a purl row to make the side of the cast on that looks like a stem stitch in embroidery. I prefer this side most of the time.

#5

I’ve used LT CO for 45 years and never consider that I’m ‘knitting’ the first row. I turn and do whatever the pattern says for the first row. It actually doesn’t come out that much like a row of knit stitches after the first couple rows, it’s shorter and shouldn’t be counted as a row. I like having the purl bumps show on the RS.

#6

Wow I am having problems. I keep losing stitches and having to start over. Not that I’m getting very far. Farthest I’ve gotten is finishing the first row of my pattern and doing a few on the second row. Then I lose a stitch and have to start over. Ugh. I’m using bamboo needles. I like how it’s hard for the stitch to come off of the needle, at least compared to metal needles. Those are way too slippery for my taste. At least that’s how I felt with my old needles which I gave away a year or so ago since I didn’t plan on knitting anymore. I think my cast on is too tight since I seem to be fighting with it to knit the stitches. That’s how I lose the stitches I think. I push too hard to make the stitch and then it flies off of the needle tip.

It’s hard to twist the work to straighten it out on the needle. How do I cast on looser? Is there any technique to it? Or simply dont pull it tighter? Then how do I get even tension across all the cast on stitches? Oh I feel like a lost cause :stuck_out_tongue:

#7

Yes, you don’t need to pull the yarn tight when you cast on, making the next stitch should tighten up the previous one. Even sts, whether for the CO or a knit row come with practice though, so don’t worry about it for now - just get the sts on the needle so you can work them.

#8

Yep, I never consider the cast on the first row either.

You can cast on to a larger needle and then switch to the size you need, but you’ll still need to go slowly and not tug too hard on the stitches. It takes practice to get even tension and it’s awkward for everyone at first. Just keep at it and it’ll come together for you.

#9

When doing LT CO, I don’t realy bother tightening my stitches very much. I don’t keep them super loose, but I do this really fast and I don’t bother to make a huge effort of it. If you’re pulling them taught after you finish with the hand motions of it then I would say you are doing it too tight. I figure that the cast on will work itself out as I work the first couple of rows.

#10

I’m still apparently casting on too tightly. I did it very loose and I couldn’t get my right needle in the stitch to start the second row. I’m having problems on bamboo and acrylic needles. I don’t have metal needles to try.

I may just have to use my 10 1/2 size needles to cast on then transfer to my size 7 bamboo or 8 acrylic needles. I can’t believe it’s so tight. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I must be knitting too tightly but its hard not to. I guess I should see if I can find a beginner knitting class near me. Maybe that’ll help. I don’t know. Seems odd that I can’t seem to get my cast on loose enough.

#11

Casting on with a larger size needle is a very good idea. What if you also take a look at some of the other cast ons and try one of them? The knitted or cable cast ons produce a nice edge and should be easy to knit the first row into.

#12

Oh wow didn’t think of that. I’ll try other cast on methods, thanks :slight_smile: Then if that doesn’t work for me I’ll just use my bigger needles to cast on. Thanks :slight_smile:

#13

You don’t need to transfer the cast on stitches to the smaller needles, just knit the first row with one of them. Or try another cast on, the knit CO is pretty loose… as long as you don’t pull the yarn tight when making the new st or tighten it after you have it on the needle.

Just resist the urge to pull the yarn after you make a stitch, whether casting on or knitting a row. It’s a newbie thing that they think it makes nice even stitches when it actually makes tight ones.

#14

I may be pulling too tightly when making the stitches. I pull the yarn tight to wrap it around the needle so that I can pull it through the loop when making the knit stitch. I haven’t attempted the purl stitch yet but I know it’s similar, just in front of the left needle, not in back. I’ll try not pulling so tightly with the loose yarn.

#15

If the stitch you’re knitting into is tight, you’ll tend to make the new stitch tight too. Don’t pull on the yarn at all, just wrap it around the needle and draw it though the old stitch. Then go on to the next one.

#16

Hmm. I’ve tried not to pull tight but it wont go in front of the right needle, without pulling tight. I guess maybe that’s because my cast on is too tight. I’ll try to do it looser with a looser cast on. At this point I’ve tried both ways I think and still have issues getting the yarn in the right place that it will actually pull around into the stitch. Thanks, I’ll work on that.

#17

Ok I worked a really loose cast on and the stitches got tighter and tighter the further down I went while knitting it. Got so tight I couldn’t continue knitting.

I guess I’ll have to find a beginner knitting class somewhere. We have a local Michaels craft store and Hobby Lobby. I checked their calendars but the calendars aren’t updated yet for January. They usually have classes for newbie crocheters and knitters. I remember taking a beginning crochet class once at Michaels.

I’ll go that route so maybe I can get help in person. Thank you for trying to help me.

#18

I just realized that I used to use acrylic yarn when I was knitting (back a few years ago when I was learning) and now I’m using 100% cotton. Does acrylic yarn stretch when knitting like to accomodate the needle in teh stitch? This cotton doesn’t stretch. Could that be my problem? If it is - generally would more experienced knitters use 100% cotton if they wanted? Should I go down in my basement and pick out an acrylic yarn?:aww:

#19

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I must be knitting too tightly but its hard not to. I guess I should see if I can find a beginner knitting class near me. Maybe that’ll help. I don’t know. Seems odd that I can’t seem to get my cast on loose enough.

IMHO it’s not so much that you are doing anything wrong so much as you’re learning. Practice, practice, practice. I had the same problem. I started casting on with larger needles and then could work the stitches off the tip of the needle. I [I]can[/I] use the needle size I’ll be working with now but still prefer to use larger needles. Go ahead and try it with the larger and see how it works. Some things just aren’t getting ourselves tangled into knots over. Knitting should be fun.

#20

I just switched to acrylic yarn and it seems promising. The cotton is the problem I think for me, other than that I’m still learning lol

I picked up a worsted weight soft yarn and also a bulky harn which I think is Wool-Ease though it may be a fake mohair yarn. Not sure which, it was rolled into a ball and didn’t have a label. I can sort of remember buying it years ago but I don’t know which it was. I was going to use the bulky one for a scarf for my dad when I was learning to crochet. That didn’t turn out well. I kept decreasing stitches and couldn’t ever fix that problem so that’s why I quit crocheting.

I’ll keep working at it. :slight_smile: