I just saw the casting-on item on the home page, and got to wondering if anyone else ever learned the “easy cast-on” that my grandmother taught me. It starts like the long-tail cast on, estimate one inch for each stitch to be cast on and tie a slip knot and put it over your needle. You need only one needle as your other needle will be your left index finger … Grasp the long tail in your left hand, stick out your left index finger and twist the yarn around it. Insert the needle into the loop as to knit (pretending your left index finger is a knitting needle), pass the working yarn over the needle and knit a stitch, snugging a little for loose cast-on. Repeat - for the desired number of stitches. This is the easiest cast-on I have ever seen, and serves to preserve one’s skill at English knitting, if nothing else! Audrey V
One-finger English Cast On
the cast on is a Long tail… its just not the “sling shot” version of long tail.
there is another version. (called [B]Maine cast on[/B] for sure, it might have other names as well)
make the loop on thumb, then stick your index finger into thumb loop and transfer it to index finger.
then knit into index finger loop (as you do now)
the thumb loop to index finger motion will twist the loop and you get a “twisted” (aka norwegian, old norwegian, german, german twisted, et al) style cast on.
An alternate way to do the cast on is to form the loop on the thumb (just like a standard long tail) and hold the thumb parallel to the knitting needle and knit into the thumb loop… (this is often called “thumb” or “thumb long tail” cast on.)
(i am pretty inept at doing this, because it calls for the right hand to hold the yarn, and to form the stitch… --something i don’t do well at all!)
Yes, this is the `Thumb variation’ of the Long tail CO, which I use cause I never figured out the regular LT.