Draft
Cast-OnsCast Ons for Beginners
Cable Cast On
A firm, tidy edge made between the stitches. Good where you do not want stretch.
5 min videoGood for firm edges, buttonholes
The cable cast on is a variation of the knitted cast on. It differs in one respect only, where the needle goes in, and that one change makes an interlocking cable of stitches along the edge.
The edge is firm, strong and very durable. Use it where there will be wear and tear or friction, like the cuff of a sleeve or a buttonhole. It looks really nice too, a tidy braided edge.
It does not stretch much, so it is a good choice for anything that does not need to stretch, and a poor one for ribbing or a sock top.
1 Make a slip knot
Make a slip knot and place it on your needle. You need two needles for this cast on, the same as for the knitted cast on.
2 Knit the first stitch on
Insert the working needle into the slip knot knitwise and work it like a knit stitch, wrap and pull through. Place that new loop onto the main needle and tighten it down. This first stitch is the same as the knitted cast on.
3 Go in between the two stitches
Here is where it differs. Instead of going into the last stitch, slip the working needle in between the two stitches on the main needle.
4 Wrap and pull through
Work it like a knit stitch. Wrap the yarn over the working needle and pull the new loop through between the stitches.
5 Place it on the main needle
Put the new loop onto the main needle and tighten it down. You can slip it on with the needles facing each other or pointing the same way. Either is fine, as long as you do it the same way every time.
6 Then keep going
Go in between the first and second stitches again, wrap, pull through, place it on the needle and snug it up. Every new stitch goes in between the last two. That is what makes the braided edge.