Hello everyone…I have been knitting since Oct of 07’. 
I prefer to use the long-tail cast on. However… I have run into the same problem time after time. My ‘tail’ is either way too long or I run out before I get finished casting on. Then I have to take all of the stitches off of my needle and start over. Which is very frustrating. :hair: Is there a way to know how far down the ‘tail’ I should start? For example: ‘x’ amount of inches for ‘x’ amount of stitches. I hope I am not confusing everyone. :whoosh: Thanks so much.
You can either use the cable method which is knitting or purling on the stitches. Basically you knit and without pulling the loop off the needle you put it on your left needle. This website has a video of the cable method. You can also wrap your yarn around 10 times so it looks like you have 10 stitches and then from there you can see how long the piece is that makes 10 and just add the yarn accordingly. I hope this helps.
I ‘measure’ it out by counting by tens and I’ve gotten pretty good as guesstimating now, but when I’m not sure I wrap the yarn 10 times around the needle I’m going to use and then holding both ends close to the needle take the needle out. I then count by 10’s based on that measurement plus about half that measurement again for good measure. It doesn’t always work out, but often enough. I’d rather have it too long that short.
One way to estimate is to take half the number of sts wide in inches. 60 sts = 30", plus about 6" for the end.
If the tail is going to be needed to make a seam… should I add even more?
I watch the video here and knitting help for long tail cast on and use her estimation of at least 12 inches( a generous 12") of yarn for every 20 stitches always works for me:knitting:
absolutely the pattern should tell you how much you will need for the seam so add that to it.
there are several techniques for ‘guestimating’ the tail length.
1–(best i think) determine width to cast on (cast on 20 inches? or 30? or 60 inches? you tail needs to be 3 times width, + 20% more.
20 inches (sweater back say) =60 inches of tail + another 12 inches (10% of 60 is 6 inches, 20% is 12 inches.) so total? 60 +12=72.
It doesn’t matter what size yarn or needles. (you’ll might cast on 100 stitches at 5 stitches to inch, (sports weight yarn) or 40 stitches (at 2 stitches =1 inch–super bulky yarn)
the super bulky stitches eat up length–the finer stitches have a greater number… but both require about the same length tail (3 X width +20%!)
(the reason? the tail is a ‘stitch’ (its formed with thumb) and as a general rule a stitch is a loop (a misshaped circle) an you need to have the radius (Pi) for the length of each stitch…
(so 20 inches of stitch need 20 inches X Pi (or 3.14 (or 3 times +20% (or 3.2) inches of yarn!) (you can use Pi if you have a scientific calculator handy… but… most of us don’t!)
(you can also wrap yarn round the needle (oh, wrap it round the needle 10 times or so, (and then multiple that length to get length for 60 stitches (6 times length of 10 wraps)
when you wrap around the needle, you are measuring the circumferned (get it? circumference–circumference is also found by measuring diameter X pi… mmm, a Pi is a common to both of the methods!)
or you can use the 2 ball of yarn method (use 2 separate balls of yarn (or both ends of center pull ball (ie inside and outside)
tie them together, making a double yarn slip stitch ([B]for this method ONLY–don’t count slip stitch as a stitch)[/B]
then continue using one yarn (outer) as thumb yarn, and other yarn (center pull) as index.
when done, cut thumb yarn, and continue with index finger yarn.
(down side? 3 tails to weave in…
Upside–you never run out of tail! (even with crazy long (300+ ) stitch cast ons
(discard double slip knot (before closing into round, or at end of first row–and NO, it won’t undo or weaken the cast on!)
this wil
OR–learn some other cast ons! there are lots of different cast ons.
but to be honest, i know lots of casts ons, (40+) and still use long tail (or a variation of long tail) 50% of the time!