Tutorial: tubular cast-on

March 25, 2018

A tubular cast-on is a great way to start a project that begins with ribbing - it's perfectly suited to 1x1 (k1, p1) ribbing, and can also be adapted for 2x2 (k2, p2) rib and other arrangements. It can be paired with a tubular cast-off for a matching finish on both ends of an item; I decided to use this for my recently released pattern, the Bain scarf.

Some things to bear in mind:

there are a few different tubular cast-ons - the one I'm demonstrating here is the long-tail tubular cast-on. All of them achieve the same purpose, which is to cast-on invisibly in the middle of a row of stocking stitch fabric, then double-knit the top and bottom end of the fabric at the same time on the same needle. This creates a folded-over tube that sits neatly at the edge of the work. If this sounds confusing, I recommend this great post from TECHknitting which explains everything very well. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try out the cast-on in a small swatch, then take it off the needles and unravel it - watching what happens as it unravels should help you to understand the underlying structure of the cast-on.
After the initial cast-on, the double-knitted foundation rows are knitted (as k1, sl1wyif on each side). 2 or 4 foundation rows can be knitted (I use 2 in the Bain scarf).
It's often advised to work the cast-on and foundation rows on a smaller needle than that used for your project, to prevent the cast-on from flaring out. I personally haven't found this to be necessary, however it's worth experimenting and swatching to see if this improves the appearance of your tubular cast-on.
Some tubular cast-ons require you to pull out the base yarn after working the cast-on - this one doesn't! In this version, the working yarn and long-tail alternate to form each stitch in the first row of the cast-on, so pulling out the tail afterwards is impossible.
If you're casting on an even number of stitches, I recommend holding the yarn with the tail over your index finger; if it's an odd number of stitches, you can hold the yarn over your thumb. Doing it this way ensures that the very last stitch of your cast on will be worked with the working yarn, and not the long-tail - this doesn't really make much difference either way, but I find it helps to remind me to begin the foundation row using the working yarn, and not accidentally use the long-tail!
Remember to leave enough length in your long-tail for the cast-on - you can use the methods you would normally use to estimate the length of the tail in a standard long-tail, for example, wrapping the yarn around the needle for the number of stitches required, or estimating the width of the project and making the tail 3-4 times as long as that.
You might notice that this cast-on is very similar to the method I like to use for casting on provisionally (indeed, in the TECHknitting post linked above, a provisional cast-on is used and the waste yarn is pulled out afterwards). The only difference is that when casting on the even-numbered stitches, instead of leaving the yarn just sitting on the needle, you go one step further and scoop the needle over the front yarn and back under - this has the effect of alternating the stitches between tail and working yarn.

1. Begin by tensioning the yarn as you would for a long-tail cast-on - it doesn't matter so much whether the tail goes over your index or thumb, but as mentioned above, for an even number I like to have the tail over my index finger (so, the tail yarn here is the back yarn, over my index finger, and the working yarn is the front yarn, over my thumb).

2. Bring your needle-tip from above into the V of the yarn, holding onto the yarn with your thumb to keep it in position.

3. Bring the needle under the front yarn and bring it back up above, so that you have one loop on the needle with a twist in the yarns. This is the first stitch - remember to keep a hold on it with your index finger to prevent it shifting around.

4. Bring the needle behind the back yarn and under it to the centre.

5. Bring the needle over the front yarn...

6. ... and scoop under both front and back yarns, to bring the needle back up above both. This is the second stitch cast-on. As for the first stitch, it's important as you're working to always hold on to the last stitch cast-on, with your index finger (this keeps it in position as you're moving the needle).

7. To cast on the third stitch - bring the needle over the front yarn and under to the centre...

8. ... then bring the needle over the back yarn...

9. ... then scoop under both back and front yarns, to bring the needle back up above both.

10. This is the third stitch now cast-on, and now you know all the steps required to complete the cast-on. For even-numbered stitches, follow steps 4-6. For odd-numbered stitches, follow steps 7-9. A quick way to remember it is:

Even-numbered stitches: under the back, over the front, under both.

Odd-numbered stitches: under the front, over the back, under both.

Remember that each time you start a stitch, you work with the needle coming from the outside to the centre (so, either from the front then under the front yarn, or from the back then under the back yarn).

11. This is how it looks after I've cast on an even number of stitches (sorry some of the photos are a little out of focus - my camera was misbehaving!)

12. Turn the cast-on around to begin working the foundation rows. You need to do this really carefully, so that the last stitch doesn't fall apart (because the working yarn and tail yarn aren't joined together, they're just twisted once around each other).

13. Carefully check that you have your working yarn ready to knit with (it should be the same yarn that was used to make the last stitch). It's very easy to accidentally start knitting with the tail by mistake (something I've done more often than I'd like to admit...), so double-check to be sure! (here I'm holding the working yarn in my left hand, as I'm a continental knitter).

14. Knit the first stitch. Note that on the very first row, the knit stitches will be oriented backwards (with the right leg of the stitch at the back of the needle, and the left leg of the stitch at the front). Just be aware of this and make sure you're knitting into the stitches so that they won't be twisted (i.e. make sure the right leg of the stitch is on the right and the left leg on the left, as you insert the needle).

15. For the second stitch, bring the yarn to the front of the work, and hold the yarn in front as you slip the stitch purlwise (this is abbreviated to sl1wyif).

16. Continue in this manner across the whole cast-on, to the end (k1, sl1wyif to end). The last stitch will be a sl1wyif. This is the first foundation row completed.

After this, work the next foundation row in exactly the same manner (k1, sl1wyif to end - this time the knit stitches will be oriented correctly). You should notice that on this row you're knitting the stitches that were previously slipped - and slipping the stitches that were previously knitted. This creates a double-knitted fabric (if you're not sure of what this means, it doesn't matter - it's just an interesting thing to know!). You can work another 2 additional foundation rows, for a total of 4, or just 2 foundation rows.

After this, you can continue however the pattern directs. If you're working in 1x1 (k1, p1) rib, you should be able to see how neatly the foundation rows will transition into ribbing - just k1, p1 over the stitches that were previously k1, sl1wyif.

If your ribbing is going to be 2x2 rib, or some other variation, you will need to do a small amount of rearranging, just so that everything lines up neatly. The exact way that you do this will be different according to the order of stitches in the rib - here I will demonstrate how to rearrange for a (k1, p2, k1) 2x2 rib.

17. As I want the rib pattern to be (k1, p2, k1) I can k1, p1 the first 2 sts as they are, because they already fit into this pattern. However, if you look at the next 2 sts on the left needle, you can see that it's a k stitch followed by a p stitch. So I need to rearrange the stitches so that the k stitch crosses to the left over the p stitch - this way I will be able to p1, k1 over these stitches. This is a basic cable, which I term as a T2L. Here I'll demonstrate how I do this without a cable needle (if you want to use a cable needle for this, you would sl the first st to cn, hold to front, then p1 from ln, k1 from cn).

General disclaimer - my method of cabling without a cable needle may be a bit weird, I think there's probably a simpler way of doing this T2L with less steps. Personally I like to slip all the stitches to the right needle first, then rearrange them as necessary and put them back onto the left needle to work them in order. It's a habit I've developed out of working very complicated cable stitches, where I like to check everything's in the correct order on the left needle before I work the stitches. So if you have a different way you prefer to do a T2L (one k st crossing left over one p stitch), just ignore the next bit and work the cable whichever way makes sense to you!

18. To work the T2L without a cable needle, I've slipped the next 2 sts on the left needle to the right needle, then inserted the left needle into the second stitch now on the right needle (which was the first stitch to be slipped).

19. With my left index finger, I'm holding on to the p stitch (which was the first stitch on the right needle) as I pull the right needle out of both stitches...

20. ... then I catch the p stitch with the right needle...

21. ... and transfer it back to the left needle. This has swapped the order of stitches on the left needle, so that now there's a p stitch followed by a k stitch.

22. I can now p1, k1 across the stitches, and you can see the (k1, p2, k1) pattern across the first 4 sts that have been worked.

23. The next 2 sts on the left needle fit the pattern, so I can k1, p1 over these without any rearranging. For the next 2 sts after that, I'll need to do another T2L. This can be repeated across the row to rearrange the stitches - (k1, p1, T2L) to end.

24. After this intial row of rearranging the stitches, I can continue in the rib pattern as set. Here it is after a few rows have been worked - you can see how the cast-on neatly flows into the rib, and how the stitches appear to smoothly wrap around the base edge of the fabric.

GIF CLIPS

I've made a series of short video clips illustrating different stages of this cast-on (by default, these should be hidden, to avoid distraction - you can view the clips by clicking on the description for each one, and hide a clip by clicking its description a second time).

This clip shows how the tubular cast-on looks whilst being worked...

This clip shows the first foundation row being worked (k1, sl1wyif). Note how the k sts are oriented backwards...

This clip shows the second foundation row being worked (k1, sl1wyif). Note how the k sts are oriented normally on this row...

This clip shows the first row of the ribbing - I'm rearranging the stitches for 2x2 rib by working (k1, p1, T2L) across the row...

I hope that this tutorial was helpful! I'll shortly be releasing an accompanying tutorial for the matching tubular cast-off.

P. S. Nearly forgot to mention - the needles I'm using here are wooden 5″ lace-tip interchangeables from DyakCraft (I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just wanted to share as they are so gorgeous and unusual, and I know some of you will be wondering where they're from!). Sadly they are quite hard to get hold of these days, but occasionally new wooden tips are posted on their Turnings page. I love wooden needles but it's so hard to find ones sharp enough for my liking - these ones are definitely the best I've found!

Tutorial: Grafting in pattern

February 26, 2013

I thought it was about time I made a tutorial explaining how to graft in pattern - it's a technique I use often, and it's required for a neat finish on a number of my patterns, including Nennir, Cinioch and Tallorcen. Regular grafting in stockinette - also called Kitchener stitch - is a technique that uses a darning needle and yarn to sew live sts together in a way that perfectly imitates a row of knitting. Done properly, with close attention paid to the tension of the yarn, it can be completely invisible. It also has the advantage of joining sts together without the bulk of a seam, which is why it's often used to close sock toes. Grafting in pattern - i.e. grafting across a row of mixed knit and purl sts - is not significantly difficult, if you already know how to graft in stockinette. I'm going to assume in this tutorial that you do already know stockinette grafting - if not, I recommend reading this and having a practise before attempting to graft in pattern!

I find that grafting is all about rhythm, and mantra - in stockinette grafting, everything goes fine as long as I repeat in my head "Knit off, purl on... purl on, knit off". Or even just "Knit, purl... purl, knit," because once you get into the rhythm of slipping off the first stitch on front and back needle, and leaving the second stitch on, it becomes second nature.

Here's a condensed guide to how to graft in pattern, which will make more sense once you look at the photos and video below:

(F = front needle, B = back needle)
2 (or more) k sts on F (Stockinette grafting) F: knit off, purl on B: purl off, knit on
1 k st, 1 p st on F F: knit off, knit on B: knit off, purl on
1 p st, 1 k st on F F: purl off, purl on B: purl off, knit on
2 (or more) p sts on F (Reverse stockinette grafting) F: purl off, knit on B: knit off, purl on

Firstly, something very important indeed - grafting in pattern will only work perfectly if the direction of knitting is preserved in the two pieces being grafted together. In other words - if you make two separate cabled panels, worked from the CO up, and then tried to graft the live sts together, there will be a half-stitch jog. The cable sections - usually columns of 2 k sts over a purl background - will not align perfectly and it might look a bit strange. Imagine an arrow that starts at your CO edge and points up towards your live sts. If you're trying to graft two pieces together and the arrows point at each other, you will have the half-stitch jog.

If you start a cabled panel with a provisional CO, work for as long as the panel needs to be, then graft your live sts to the sts held by the provisional CO, then the direction of knitting is preserved and the sts will all align perfectly. This is often the construction used in cabled hat bands, cowls, waistbands, cuffs, etc.

If you'd like to follow along with the tutorial, CO 23 sts using any standard CO (like long-tail) and work as follows for a few rows: RS: k4, p4, k2, p3, k2, p4, k4. WS: p4, k4, p2, k3, p2, k4, p4. Leave the live sts on the needle.

Then CO 23 sts using provisional CO, work for a few rows in the above stitch pattern and BO. Undo the provisional CO and slip the 23 sts onto a needle.

You should have something like this:

After grafting the first few stitches as for regular stockinette, stop when you have a k st followed by a p st on your front needle! It will look like this:

For the transitions between k and p sts, the way in which you insert the needle has to change slightly. So, insert the needle knitwise (and slip st off, not shown):

Then insert needle knitwise (and leave st on, pull yarn through):

On the back needle, insert needle knitwise (and slip st off, not shown):

Then insert needle purlwise (and leave st on, pull yarn through):

After this, it's reverse stockinette grafting for a few sts. So, like regular grafting but backwards! Purl off, knit on... knit off, purl on. Like so!:

Continue in reverse stockinette grafting, until the next 2 sts on the front needle are a p st followed by a k st. Like this:

This time the pattern needs to be purl off, purl on... purl off, knit on:

And that's everything you need to know to graft in pattern! Continue to work across the row. Remember: if you have 2 or more k sts next on your front needle, you use stockinette grafting. If you have 2 or more p sts on your front needle, you use reverse stockinette grafting. It's the transitions between k and p sts that you have to watch out for!

Finished result, after tension has been adjusted a little bit along the grafting line:

As you can see (I hope!), if I hadn't used a different coloured yarn for the graft, the result would be practically invisible.

Hope this tutorial was helpful and feel free to ask any questions!

P.S. Here's a video demonstrating the grafting in progress:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngY2tmg9DPs&w=480&h=360]

Video Tutorial: Increases and Decreases in Closed-loop Cable Knitting

June 10, 2012

Here's a little video I put together showing some of the increases and decreases I like to use in closed-loop cable knitting (this is a style of cable knitting that allows you to create near-horizontal bands of cables, and closed loops - hence the name!; it's very useful for knitting cables based on Celtic knotwork, like the cables in my hat pattern Tallorcen). Please note: There is no audio on this video - it's designed to be a supplement to the written instructions which are provided in the pattern. This is quite an old video, which I hope to update soon with audio commentary.

1-into-3 increases (stacked): at beginning of video

5-into-1 decrease: begins at 3m 43s

1-into-5 increase: begins at 5m 25s

Increases and decreases for closed-loop cable knitting from Lucy Hague on Vimeo.

Tutorial: Invisible Provisional Cast-on

October 19, 2011

Edit [20 Nov 2016]: I've revisited this tutorial to add some clearer photos, however most of the content remains the same.

Here's a little photo tutorial on how to do my favourite provisional cast-on, the invisible cast-on.

A little background: there are a few different methods for working a provisional cast-on, all with the same goal - to provide a starting point for your work, and to leave your first row of stitches on a strand of waste yarn which can be easily removed, so that you can put the bases of your stitches back onto a needle and either knit in the opposite direction or simply cast off. This is really useful for a number of reasons... if you want both ends of a scarf to match, you could start with a provisional cast-on, knit to the end, cast off, and then go back to the beginning, unpick your provisional cast-on and use the same cast-off. That's just one example; there are many more. Provisional cast-ons are really useful in lace-knitting, too. Overall, it's a very handy skill to have in your bag of tricks!

The crochet provisional cast-on is very widely known, indeed, it was the first one I learnt. When you use the crochet provisional cast-on, the sts go onto your (left) needle from left to right, then you immediately work the first row. When you use the invisible provisional cast-on, the stitches go onto the (right) needle from right to left, then (if knitting flat) you turn and work a WS row (so, a purl row if you're working in stocking stitch). The invisible provisional cast-on leaves all your stitches on a strand of waste yarn, so it's very easy to remove the waste yarn and get the stitches back on the needle (easier than with the crochet provisional cast-on, which you have to "unzip").

So, here we go. An explanation of the invisible provisional cast-on!

You need some nice smooth waste yarn, ideally in a contrasting colour to your working yarn. It will make it easier to get the stitches back onto the needle if you use a waste yarn that is at least as thick as (and ideally a little thicker than) your working yarn.

To help you follow the pictures, my waste yarn is orange and my working yarn is grey. Lay your waste yarn and working yarn together and put a slip knot in them (leaving a bit of a tail to weave in at the end):

Put your slip knot onto the needle, and tension the yarns similarly to how you would when working a long-tail cast-on. The waste yarn is over your thumb, the working yarn over the index finger, and both yarns are grasped together in your palm (you can tension the yarns as you usually would when knitting, or just hold them loosely):

Bring your right needle to the front, and then under the waste yarn with your needle (hold the slip knot with your right index finger and/or thumb so it doesn't move around):

Then bring your needle over the working yarn (dotted line shows previous path of needle, solid line shows current path):

Scoop the working yarn under the waste yarn:

... and bring your needle back to its starting position. One stitch has been cast on:

To cast on your next stitch, bring the right needle from the back and under the working yarn:

That's your second cast-on stitch; I know it seems a little strange, just sitting there like a yarn-over, but it makes more sense one you cast-on the third stitch. Follow the directions exactly as for casting on the first stitch (it helps if you hold the stitch just cast-on with your right index finger and/or thumb, as you did initially with the slip-knot, just to stop it moving around)...:

...and now the second stitch is properly anchored. There should be three cast-on stitches on your needle (along with the beginning slip-knot):

That's all there is to it. As you can see, the even-numbered cast-on stitches are not really cast-on in the true sense... they only become properly anchored stitches once you complete the next (odd-numbered) stitch. Because of this, you have to exercise a little bit of care if you are casting on an even number of sts. When you turn to work your first (WS) row, it will look like this:

As you can see, the working yarn is wrapped round the needle like a yarn-over but there is no waste yarn anchoring it at the base. This makes it impossible to work the first st. What you need to do is twist the waste yarn around to the front, like this:

... and then just work all your stitches as normal (I'm purling these stitches).

When you get to the slip knot, just drop it off the needle and ignore it:

When it comes time to undo your provisional cast-on, you will undo the slip-knot and take the waste yarn out of the stitches. For now, you can just leave it hanging there

As you can see, once you work a few rows, this cast-on truly is invisible. The waste yarn is running neatly and unimpeded through the bases of all your sts, rather like a lifeline:

Picking up stitches from this provisional cast-on is pretty straightforward. One thing to watch out for though is that half of the stitches will be oriented the opposite way to normal (i.e. they will have the right leg of the stitch at the back of the needle, instead of at the front). You can correct this when slipping the stitches off the waste yarn, or just pick them up as is and then re-orient them by slipping onto a second needle:

I find it easiest to pick up 3 or 4 stitches at a time, then gently pull out the waste yarn as I go:

When you get to the end, you can pull out the slip-knot and the rest of the waste yarn. I've tried to show in this picture how some of the stitches are oriented backwards (tricky to photograph!):

Here I'm slipping all the stitches to a second needle, and re-orienting as I go (by slipping each stitch purlwise with the needle behind the right leg of each stitch):

Here's how it looks once all stitches from the provisional cast-on have been transferred back onto the needle and properly oriented, ready to be worked:

I hope you found this tutorial helpful, and that learning how to work provisional cast-ons will lead you to new and interesting directions in your knitting!