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The Yarnist

Draft

Cast-OnsGetting Started

Materials List

What to have on the table before you cast on.

2 min video

This is what to have on the table for the class. All of it is ordinary: needles, a crochet hook, a handful of swatches, some waste yarn and a darning needle.

The swatches matter most. Eight or so in stockinette and a couple in ribbing give you live stitches to try every bind off on without knitting something new each time. A couple of rows each is plenty.

  1. Knitting needles, shown on the needles

    1 Knitting needles

    A pair of knitting needles, or double pointed needles.

  2. A crochet hook, shown on the needles

    2 A crochet hook

    One crochet hook. Some of the cast ons and bind offs use it.

  3. Swatches of stockinette, shown on the needles

    3 Swatches of stockinette

    About eight small swatches of stockinette. They do not need to be as big as the ones here. A couple of rows is enough to give you live stitches to practice the bind offs on.

  4. A couple of ribbing swatches, shown on the needles

    4 A couple of ribbing swatches

    Two or so swatches in ribbing, for the bind offs that are made for ribbing.

  5. A piece of waste yarn, shown on the needles

    5 A piece of waste yarn

    Used mostly in the sewn bind offs, so you can see what the stitches are doing as the yarn moves through them. An extra length of the tail on your swatch does the same job.

  6. A darning needle, shown on the needles

    6 A darning needle

    A darning or tapestry needle. It is a sewing needle with a blunt tip, so you do not stab yourself, and a big eye that the yarn fits through.

Close relatives

  • Cast On Tips and Tricks5 minFixes for a cast on that is too tight or too loose, and a way to skip the slip knot.
  • Blocking Materials4 minWater, a surface, pins and a tape, a towel, wool wash, an iron or a steamer. What you need and what you can skip.

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