Invisible Cast-on Woes
So I learned to do an invisible cast-on tonight. It took several tries, but I finally got the hang of it. I watched the video at KnittingHelp.com and tried to follow, but wasn't getting anywhere (which surprised me because usually her videos are a huge help). Then I pulled out Vogue Knitting and that was even less help. Last of all, I consulted Elizabeth's Zimmerman's Knitting without Tears, which, true to its title, showed me how to do it without shedding any tears! Something about her pictures and her explanation clicked with me.
Feeling all set and ready to get started, I cast on 95 stitches, I knit them, I stop to count . . . I only have 93. So I start over. Carefully cast on 95. Knit them. I count again. And again, there are only 93!!!
What am I doing wrong? This little exercise in futility hasn't made the migraine I've had for the past three days any better. Have any of you got any ideas how I'm losing 2 stitches? My only thought at the moment is to cast on 97, then knit as I have been, and with any luck I'll lose 2 again, which will bring me to the desired 95. It's so crazy, it just might work!
posted by Bonnie @ 7:12 PM
4 Comments:
Boy was I glad to hear of your woes. (Not that I was happy you were struggling, but this was my first invisible cast on too and I had a hard time also). The link given in the pattern was not helpful at all, maybe it would have been if you already knew how to do it, but if you had no idea how to do it wasn't very helpful. I used the Knitting help video to help me, but I had to watch it several times to get it. I really had a hard time getting the stiches to stay on becasue they aren't actually tied on so they kept peeling off when I loosened the tension on they yarn. I lost count of how many times I started over and I finally had one less than I needed and just picked up a stich on the next row, and then when I finished the pico edge I picked up one on that needle and it seemed to work ok. It looks right anyway
I ended up using a circular needle instead of scrap yarn on the cast on and that worked really well. I'm glad I did too because getting all those live stitches from the scrap yarn to a needle would have been a pain.
I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble! This morning I started again. This time the invisible cast on went very smoothly. I sailed along up to row 6, when, as I purled the stitches from the two needles together, I discovered I'd dropped stitches somewhere and didn't have the right number on each side of the markers.
So, I frogged it and started yet again (!) But all's well that ends well--I'm done with row 6, it went perfectly, and the edge looks really nice. Also, having cast on and started over several times, I'm very used to this yarn now.
One reason I decided to make this was to step outside my comfort zone and try some new techniques. After these first 6 rows, I feel like I can knit anything now!
Yea!! I feel the same. I don't mind struggling through something (as long as I get it eventually).
Invisible cast on--one more thing to add to the "I can do that" list
I cheated a bit on that part, since I did a regular provisional cast-on, not the invisible cast-on. I just added one stitch into the number placed on the holder for the "between leg" stitches ("between leg" sounds so muc nicer than "crotch"), and the numbers seem to be working fine. I can fudge one stitch if I need to later on. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home