Long tall when casting

#1

I’m a moderate level knitter, I would guess, but one thing has always plagued me, and Ive never had anyone to ask!!! After I cast on, and I start my first line, my “tail” always grows. I don’t know if this is normal, of if I,ve always done something backwards… I feel I’m doing something wrong, because it is really tricky to get through that first line if my work is really long because the tail grows in between the needles, so by the time I,m only half way through, I’m pulling 10 inches of yarn to tighten each stitch!

If it helps, I cast on by making my slipknot, then looping the yarn on my finger with a twist, and slipping it on the needle. (loop, twist, slip, if that makes any verbal sence)
Could anyone put my wonder to rest and let me know if this is normal, or if there is a way to do the first line with out this problem?

Thanks!!!

#2

You’re doing the backward loop cast on and the yarn stretching out between sts is normal for it. And it’s hard to knit into. It’s not a great one for beginning a project, only for when you need to add a few later on. So try the knit or cable cast on, they have a much more stable edge, and the Long tail is very good for most things once you get it.

#3

yes, that is just a matter of the cast on method.
Check out the video section on the page here and try a few others. Just follow the long tail video, for example. It is really not hard!

then you may still have a few millimeters of slack (which is normal to a stretch cast on) but nothing anywhere near what you have now.