how to … CROCHET CAST ON …

a pretty and easy way to make a provisional cast on …

This is my favorite provisional cast on. It is very easy and it is very neat looking and that is the reason why it doesn’t need to be only provisional. It could be used as a regular cast on that matches a knit bind off and it is a very neat way to cast on stitches at the end of a row. (I will write about that in another post. Finally here it is).

To make a provisional cast on you will need a knitting needle, some smooth scrap yarn that is not too hairy and doesn’t split and a crochet hook in about the same size as the needle.

THE CROCHET CAST ON

THE START

slip-knot  hold cr h ifo needle pull loop
With some waste yarn              Hold the knitting needle in      Pull a loop through the 
make a slip-knot on the            your left hand, and the           loop on the crochet hook.
crochet hook.                            crochet hook in your right
…                                                hand, bring the yarn under
…                                                and behind the needle.

1 stitch = 1 stitch cast on (on the needle) + 1 stitch on the crochet hook

THE FOLLOWING STITCHES
cast on 1 pull loop 2

Bring the yarn under and        Bring the crochet hook in
behind the needle.                   front of the needle and pick up
…                                               the yarn. Pull a loop through 
…                                               the loop on the crochet hook.

Repeat these 2 steps until you have cast on the desired number of stitches.


extra ch sts extra ch sts 2
Don’t break the yarn yet.         Break the yarn and tie off.
Make a few more chain           It is on this side you will
stitches with the crochet         start unraveling the provisio-
hook off the knitting needle.   nal cast-on to recapture the
…                                                stitches.

Now you can start knitting. Introduce your working yarn and start the row.

……………………………………………………………………………………

UNZIPPING THE PROVISIONAL CAST-ON

unzip 1  unzip 2
Start at the chain end and        Pull on the tail to unzip 
untie the tail                              the chain.


unzip 3  unzip 4

Gently pull on each chain       and place each recaptured
stitch                                         stitch on the needle.

Repeat these 2 steps for every stitch.


unzip 5  unzip 6
If you were working in the         Place that loop on the needle.
round, the last stitch doesn’t
look like a real stitch , it is
only a loop.

Now you are all done, all stitches are on the needle. Ready to work whatever finishing you had in mind.