I Love Cable Cast-On

Yes indeed, I do. Cable cast-on is used in the Fortune-Teller Turban, Witch Warmers, and Cheryl's Prayer Shawl patterns because it gives a very neat edge to the knitting. Regular cast-on turns out to look sort of loopy, especially when using cotton yarn. In the photo above, the swatch on the left has cable cast-on, and the one on the right has standard cast-on.

Cable cast-on takes longer, but it's worth the trouble. Here's how to do it:

1. Cast-on the first two stitches in the standard way, and for each of the remaining stitches, use the following steps.

2. Insert the right needle between the top two stitches already cast-onto the left needle, instead of into the top cast-on stitch. Your right needle will be inserted from the front of the work straight through to the back.

3. Wrap the yarn over the right needle tip and proceed as if knitting a regular stitch, taking the loop created on the right needle, over to the left needle.



For more tips on knitting the Fortune-Teller Turban, see
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
3-Needle Bind-Off for Dummies
Add Fringe!
Swatch Wars
Checkerboard Stitch Fortune-Teller Turban

3-Needle Bind-Off for Dummies

Yes, in this case the dummy would be me. This bind-off-and-join is very much like 3-needle bind-off. As a lazy knitter who hates sewing seams, I came up with another way to join and bind off in one row. I think it’s more foolproof than 3-needle… fewer needles to juggle, and the safety of a holder to keep stitches from dropping off.

The idea is to join two pieces of knitting with live stitches by knitting two stitches together: one from each piece, and bind off as you go.

Here's how to do it for the Fortune-Teller Turban:

1. Move the desired number of stitches that are located at the end of the row (you have to be using a circular needle for this) from the right needle to the left needle.

2. Now move the same stitches from the left needle onto a large stitch holder so that the first stitch that will be taken off the holder is the last stitch in the row you just worked.

3. Take the first stitch from the holder, onto the left needle and K2 tog (one that came from the holder and one that was already on the left needle).

4. Take the next stitch from the holder onto the left needle and K2 tog (again, one that came from the holder and one that was already on the left needle).

5. Bind off the previous stitch on the right needle by passing it over the just-made stitch and off the needle.

6. Repeat steps 4-5 until all stitches on the holder have been worked.

Congratulations. You have just bound off and made a seam without any sewing!

Note: This method can also be used to join two separate pieces of knitting. As you finish knitting the first piece, don't bind off the edge to be joined, and place the live stitches on a stitch holder. Then when you're finished knitting the second piece don't bind off, and start with step 3 above.

For more tips on knitting the Fortune-Teller Turban, see
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
Add Fringe!
I Love Cable Cast-On
Swatch Wars
Checkerboard Stitch Fortune-Teller Turban

Cast-Ons: Keeping Count

How many years have I been knitting, and counting and re-counting and fudging cast-on stitches? Too many. A few weeks ago, I figured out a way to avoid re-counting over and over again. This is probably obvious to most knitters, but here goes...

After every 20 cast-on stitches, place a marker. It's that simple. I like to use those stitch holders that look like big safety pins, because I can move them if I've miscounted. To start, cast-on 21 stitches. Then count 'em to be sure, and place the marker between the 20th and 21st stitches. Then continue to cast-on up to 41, and place another marker after the 40th stitch... and so on. Remove the markers as you come to them while knitting the first row.

Easy peasy.

This makes the Fortune-Teller Turban and the Prayer Shawl much easier to cast-on!

For more tips on knitting the Fortune-Teller Turban, see
3-Needle Bind-Off for Dummies
Add Fringe!
I Love Cable Cast-On
Swatch Wars
Checkerboard Stitch Fortune-Teller Turban

Swatch Wars

Actually the war is with my poor brain. I have just learned from a wise tester for the Fortune-Teller Turban pattern, that
a) flat swatch makes pattern gauge, counting stitches in a stretchy FO gives a way different gauge, and
b) smaller swatch means higher gauge (more stitches/inch), and larger swatch means lower gauge (fewer stitches/inch).

Go figure... and while you're at it, give thanks for wiser knitters and crocheters than yourself.