Hello! I might be just over-worried here, but I’m starting a new project, holding two strands of yarn, with size 10.5US needles and 87 cast on. When seed stitching my first row the amount of yarn between the two needles progressively grows until by the end of the row I have a good foot and a half of yarn between the needles. Is this normal? Will it correct itself on the next row?
It’s probably because you use the backward loop cast on and it does that which is why it isn’t really great for beginning a project with, especially with a lot of stitches. Use the knit or cable cast ons, videos for them on the Cast on page, or try the long tailed.
It was the long tail cast on. Would the slack eventually get drawn back in?
It couldn’t have been the Longtail, sorry, it just doesn’t do that, or perhaps you’re not getting it quite right. The back ward loop is the same as the thumb part of the Long tail, but you put another loop on the needle and pass the thumb loop over it and off the needle. Check the videos to see the difference.
I don’t know what then, it is for sure the long-tail cast on, that’s the only one I’ve learned so far (I had to look up the backwards loop to see what it was when you mentioned it.) I learned the long-tail method from this site, and went back and watched the video again just to make sure I’m doing it the right way.
So you think I should try one of the other cast ons?
Oh also, I’m still curious as to whether or not this gap, and big loop of extra material I have at the end of the first row, will correct itself as I keep working or not.
You must not be doing long tail correctly then. There’s no way it would create a growing space. :?? The only one I’ve ever had that happen with is backward loop.
Sure, try the knit or cable cast on, that should help.
Hm… after really sitting and down and looking at what I"m doing, I notice that instead of going over the right loop when casting on, I’m going under it. Structurally the loops look almost identical… but that must be what’s going on.
Edit: Actually, after doing it both ways, they dont’ look identical if looking at the loops from the underside… thank you all for your help!
Good for you for figuring it out! Let us know how it works out. 
Ahh, I figured there had to be something different. You can also try the two handed version listed as the ‘thumb variation’ - it may be a bit easier to keep track of the loops. I figured that one out years ago when I couldn’t get the one handed CO to work for me and have used that ever since.
Okay, so, that didn’t take care of my problem. Here’s what I’m looking at:
I’m certain I’m casting on correctly now…
Under the first loop…
Over the second and then pull it back through the first loop.
Yikes, I’ve never seen that unless I’ve dropped a bunch of cast on stitches. Try the thumb/alternative version of the LT CO, you ‘knit’ the working yarn on with your R hand, the L thumb works the same. Maybe that’ll help.
I just tried that method and it’s still doing it! This driving me crazy. I’ve started over at least 50 times. Do you think it’ll correct itself? I might just keep goin and see
Maybe it’s how you’re knitting into the stitches. Cast on over 2 needles so that give you a really big loop to knit into on the first row and you can see it easily.
Sometimes you need more help when learning than just one set of instructions. Here’s another video that’s really good. She calls it a double cast on, but it’s the same long tail cast on.
If you’re sure you’re doing it correctly check your knitting itself and see if that is maybe it.
Well, I’m not sure what I was doing, but I just kept going. The second row went normally, so I think I’m good now. I just have a big loop hanging from one of the corners, in addition to the tail on the other corner from where I cast on. Will just have to weave it in!
A larger loop at the end of the row is fairly normal, it’s the big span of yarn between sts in the middle of the row that’s not.
Yeah, that one at the beginning often gets smaller as you knit. Practice helps, too.