Pattern Question

Hello!

I am going to start working on this project: https://www.yarnspirations.com/caron-little-boy-blue-baby-blanket/CAK0202-007093M.html

Two questions since I haven’t knit a blanket in a long time. First, it mentions seed stitch in the stitches used, however I don’t see it listed in the pattern being used. Second, when casting on does it matter how loosely I cast on? I’ve always been a tight knitter so will it affect the final product of the blanket?

Very cute blanket with lots to hold your interest.
The seed stitch is mostly within the repeat in the body of the blanket (see bolded below):

Rows 1 and 5: K5, *(p1, k1) 4 times, k1, p2, k4, p2, k9, p2, k4, p2, k2; rep from * 3 times more, (p1, k1) 4 times k4
Rows 2, 4, 6, and 8: K5, *(p1, k1) 4 times, p1, k2, p4, k2, p9, k2, p4, k2, p1, k1; rep from * 3 times more, (p1,k1) 4 times, k4.

Your cast on gauge should be close to your knitting gauge. Which cast on are you using? A larger needle really isn’t the way to achieve a looser cast on though many swear by it, in case you aren’t aware. I typically use a long tail cast on and the space between the stitches is what determines whether or not it has adequate stretch; I think it works for a knit or cable cast on too. I like the pattern you chose.

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Agreed. For long tail it’s not the yarn over the needle which is fed from the finger but the yarn strand running between the sts which is held on the thumb that determines tightness of the cast on.

Depending what I’m making I do use a larger needle for a cast on, and for me that’s helpful. But what I prefer most of the time is to use a provisional cast on because it doesn’t restrict the size of the knitted stitches at all. Then I go back and cast OFF that edge in the same stitch as the cast off edge of the project or in an attractive or stretchy cast off.
With a blanket it means the cast on and cast off edges can be identical.

I don’t know the official name of how I cast on. Basically it’s a knit stitch but I don’t move it to the opposite needle.
I cast on like this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ8peNuYVeE&pp=ygUMa25pdCBjYXN0IG9u

As long as you cast on so your cast on gauge is close to your knitting gauge I think you don’t need to worry about making a loose cast on. When my son decided to learn to knit I recommended the knit cast on because it’s more like actual knitting. Basically for the cast on and the blanket you’d want the needle size that gives you gauge. It’s a blanket so exact gauge isn’t so important but if you’re knitting tighter than the recommended gauge it could come out smaller than expected.

Thank you!!

If you’re concerned about whether the cast on is going to be tight compared to the blanket you can do a small swatch of maybe 20 stitches and 10 rows and see if the cast on feels tight. If you slide the stitches onto a circular cable or a scrap yarn you will get a better idea of how the fabric moves without the needle hampering the movement and stretch.

You are using the knitted cast on. I like this cast on too. I do use a bigger needle when i use this cast on or mine wouldn’t match the gauge of the rest of my knitting. I am not a tight knitter, I knit at yarn gauge (whatever gauge the band says) but my cast on and bind off need some extra consideration.

It’s possible to use the knitted cast on as a provisional cast on if you wanted, I resorted to this when I was getting fed up trying another way. I was just happier to knit cast on. You would use a scrap yarn in the same weight but preferably a different colour. Then after casting in you would drop the scrap yarn and begin knitting with your blanket yarn. The first few stitches will be a bit loose on row 1 but you snug them up by pulling the tail when you return on row 2 and after that it all stays in place.
After knitting the blanket you would need to replace the provisional cast on by picking up the stitches, removing the cast on yarn and using your blanket yarn to work a bind off edge. It’s extra work and perhaps not something you fancy at this time, but worth knowing for future.

Thank you!! I will keep it mind for future projects. I will probably end up doing a gauge swatch before getting started and see how things look.