Hey fellow knitters,
I have a question about casting on mid project. I know how to do it, I usually do the knit cast on, but my pattern isn’t making sense to me after that step. Can anyone make heads or tails of this:
[B][I]Next Row (RS) Cast on 12 sts, pm, k to end. Rep last row once more.[/I][/B]
I’m fine until ‘k to end’ … aren’t I already AT the end after I cast on the additional 12 stitches? :??
This is the slippers pattern in Knit Simple Winter 2009/10. Thanks!
I’d have to see more of the pattern, but this sounds like you should have just completed a WS row, have turned and are now working on the RS row, CO the 12 sts, then K to the end of that RS row.
Yep, you’re right. I completed a WS before this step. I tried what you’re saying, and it kind of looks like what I’m supposed to be doing, but I guess I’m confused about the pm… if I place it after cast on, they’ll just end up on the ends. Maybe I’m supposed to mark after I cast on the additional 12 and knit back down to the original work indicating a separation between the new stuff and the old stuff… at least that’s what the picture of the final project kind of looks like. 
more of the pattern:
I made the toe, then ended on a WS row (16 stitches are on)
[U][B]Instep:[/B][/U]
Next row (RS) Cast on 12 sts, pm, k to end, Rep last row once more - 40 sts. Next row YO, k to 2 sts before next marker, SKP, slip marker, k to end. Rep last row 7 times more…
Here’s what I’m making. The part I’m on is where the underside of the toe becomes the bottom/sides of the slipper.
I’m having a hard time “seeing” where you’re at even with the picture, but that’s my problem, I have a hard time with that without seeing whole patterns/construction.
It sounds like the marker is just being placed to denote the decreases. Is this section of the casting on the 12 stitches the “flaps” that are tasseled together to make up the instep? If that’s the case, then I would think you’d have to cast on the 12 stitches on both sides? (But again, that’s without me looking at the construction) It does say 'rep last round once more" but I’m not sure if that’s referring to the RS or WS row.
ETA: if the casting on sts is indeed those “flaps” i think the decreases should stay just in those newly cast-on stitches by the marker, it’s to shape the flap, so you do want to be working that just in the new stuff.
Yep, it’s the “flaps” that I’m working on. What I did: co 12 additional sts, then k back down them, pm, then k to end of original work, completing the rs row. This made 28 sts. Then I co 12 sts on the other side, k back down those, pm, then knit the rest of the ws row for a total of 40 sts, effectively forming a “T”
The pattern continues with decreases/increases to make the “big piece”, and ends when I get to the desired length. The slipper is only two pieces, the big piece (which is the bottom and “flaps”), and the teeny little top piece that covers the toes. It’s worked from the toes to the heel.
ah, gotcha! sounds like you’ve got it down! they’re cute!!!
I think so. I’ll let you know.
They are cute, huh?! I’m using some of my huge stash of holiday yarn that I just [I]knew [/I] I’d find something great to do with! 
I guess I’m confused about the pm… if I place it after cast on, they’ll just end up on the ends.
They left out this part in italics - “(RS) Cast on 12 sts, [I]knit those stitches,[/I] pm, k to end. Rep last row once more.”
They want you to put the marker between the new sts and the olde ones.
Exactly! I thought so too, which is where my confusion came in to play. It is ultimately what I ended up doing, after much face scrunching and head scratching!
If my instructions say
Cast on 12 sts, pm, k to end. Rep last row once more
I would cast on 12 stitches. Not at the end of what I have been doing, but just by themselves. Then place a marker and knit off my work that I had before. That’s why “to the end”
so, what you did, as I understand: you cast on from the end of your work to the right (seen from right side of the work) and worked the stitches back, placed a marker, worked off the old stitches. That is different.
Thankfully, though, that makes the “increase” on the same side as your pattern. And it is charming because you do not need to break the yarn. So: no bad way to do it. Just different.
Now you will have to pay attention to not lose your count. Your pattern expected you to have one row less than you worked.
to tell it graphic again, work seen from right side:
the pattern wants to take 12 newborn stitches, approach your work from the right and put them on the right side of what you had before.
you worked 12 stitches away from the right edge towards the left in your cast on, then knit them back to where they belong:
same shape, one more row.
Just pay attention to the row count and most likely it will be the same thing all over!
There’s no point in casting on with separate yarn, you would just do it at the beginning of the row. The writer just forgot to put ‘knit 12 sts, pm’ before the knit to end (of row).
I would not write my pattern like that, I totally agree. But in the patten the cast on does not get knit over that one time… and truely I have seen patterns that are very clear about this “cast on and start from there” thing.
for example here: http://members.home.nl/tdpj/Patronen/Bootees/Saartjes%20bootees.pdf for the left strap. She really means it and uses the tail ends for further parts (the button loop).[B] EDIT[/B]: She does use long tail but not with cut yarn, I take that back. Must have seen it somewhere else. Can’t find that now.
So: it is what is says and it does work. Just I agree: there are more elegant ways. Just then the row count is off by one.
We keep seing people here who do not know how to cast on at the end of a row. For them these instructions would read all logical, wouldn’t they? Maybe the writer did not think of any method, did not see and advantage, did not want to make that “complicated” different cast on… you know? I can think of many reasons why the pattern is not done in a smooth way. You are always allowed to make things better than in your pattern - just you have to know that and what you change.
And of course that could also be a mistake in the pattern… I do not exclude that.
I read it as casting on at the beginning of a row, not the end. It all depends on which CO you use. This pattern is just not written as well as it could be.
This pattern is just not written as well as it could be.
I totally agree! The problem is that even good knitters do not always write good patterns (they just expect things to be clear). But the less options a knitter knows or thinks of the less clear the pattern becomes, as well.
If I only know 1 cast on, it may matter to use that one to finish the piece, but then I would probably not specify which one to use, since I know only one. If I know numerous cast ons, I might be more apt to name the one / the ones I want used.
I guess we all make mistakes in pattern writing. And we all come to points in patterns that are just not as clear as they should be. So, if we figure them out together, then we get to the project and there is usually way more than one way to get there, anyways!
I ended up not breaking the yarn, just knitting back 12 stitches before pm on both sides. I finished one last night and it looks great. I didn’t account for the additional row should there have been one, but either way this pattern is forgiving enough that it doesn’t matter.
Glad that you were able to figure it out.
Me too! Thanks to everyone for the help.
hi!
that’s great. Finished objects are so fun to look at. You just made it, you fought the pattern, battled the yarn and wrestled with the needles if things get rough, but then there it is: the finished object.
Glad I could help and I do totally approve of the not-breaking-the yarn policy as I said.
As a kid I knit clothing for my dolls and was able to make overall pants entirely without breaking the yarn, just because whenever I got to a point of casting off that I could not avoid, I used that last stitch I got to crochet things together or crochet decorative edges until I got to where I needed to be.
This wild-west-knitting-style probably got me to the experimenting point I am at. And it is always worth changing a pattern to make it better - just before you change, you should understand.