Hello,
I am a new member who joined to ask some basic questions. I am making a “ear flap hat” and the pattern calls for “casting on” 24 stitches after I knit across one of the ear flaps. I know how to cast on stitches to start a knitting project, but do not know quite how to cast on stitches when I am already in the middle of a project. This is different than an increase and decrease which I do know how to do. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
Karen
hi there!
welcome to KH! You have a couple of options that I’m aware of at the end of a row. After turning, you can either do what I know as the “backwards loop” or “e-loop” cast on, which can be found here under “single cast-on” http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/cast-on
or you can also turn and do the knit cast-on or cable cast-on, also at that page. my preference is for the cable cast-on, as it’s a bit firmer. if you know the knit cast-on, the cable is almost the same except instead of putting the needle in the stitch itself, you put the needle between the 2 stitches, so when doing your first cast-on stitch, you would put the needle through the last two stitches you just worked and proceed from there.
hope this helps!
Hi Sean,
Thanks for the fast reply. I am not supposed to turn the work but to keep going forward from the ear flap to add (cast on) 24 stitches, knit the other ear flap off the holder, and then add or cast on 24 more stitches to make a total of 80 stitches for the hat I am knitting on a circular needle. Would the method for casting on you suggested work for this project, or do I need to do something else? Thank you again.
Karen
You would only turn the work to cast on the stitches, then turn back and do the stitches from the other ear flap. Then turn and cast on the other stitches and turn back and join with the first earflap and knit around.
hi there!
the single cast-on is the only one that i am aware of that would work here, then. you would do it exactly as in the video since you will have the working yarn and stitches in your right hand on the right-hand needle, cast on the 24, and the working yarn will be in the right spot to continue on to the other flap. 
sue was replying the same time as me it looks like. that would definitely work too. the only reason i didn’t suggest it is because that will give you a small purl ridge as the first round of the hat, which isn’t a terrible thing by any means, so that’s definitely an option too
me again! i happen to be sitting here playing with stitches anyway and the single cast-on actually creates a very similar ridge as the knit or cable cast-on, so if it were me, i would go with turning, cable cast-on the 24, and then turn again and continue with the other flap. thanks sue!!!
Problem is it seems that many people cast on differently. I know several Cast On ways so it matters what I am doing or making on what CO that I am using.
If you happen to not do the same CO that the above poster is talking about then it would be hard for you to understand the posters directions lol when you do a CO all a person really needs to do is make a loop per stitch. There are no real technical difficulties needed to do the way I do when making my gowns where I ask for a person to CO for the arms after a project is started. I simple CO it onto the right hand stitch by swisting the yarn to make a simple loop then slip it onto the right hand needle. (as many as your pattern calls for) I also do a CO that is different then any I have ever seen. It was taught by my grandmother. However it takes a long tail to do it, which will not work for CO in the middle of a row. I will have to make video to put on my website someday showing the different kind of CO’s that I do.
This did not help answer anything but I just felt like posting 
:roflhard:
Anyway
Mary