If you read my last post, I explained how I hate to cast on because it's such a guessing game as to how much yarn to pull. Well, what if you didn't have to guess anymore?
Here's a pic of the typical way to cast on.
Is there enough yarn? Not enough? Who can tell?
Here's the new, spectacular way. (OK, probably not new).
Did you notice the difference? Look at the background. Two skeins instead of one. Take the end of both skeins and tie a loose knot.
Slingshot the yarn as you would with a long-tail cast on.
Pinch the knot btw your index and middle fingers.
Cast on as usual. Scrape the thumb,
over and under the rest of the slingshot,
Viola!
Once you have enough stitches, cut the yarn that's not on your thumb (leaving a 6" tail), and start knitting as usual! (Be sure to double-check that you have the correct # of stitches before you cut. Don't ask how I know.)
I LOVE this tip. Changed my life! At least my knitting life. The right amount of yarn every time! What more could you ask! (As with most of my tips, I learned this from Tracy, the guru.)
The only snafu's with this type of cast on are....
a) if you only have one ball of yarn - no problem, make a center-pull ball and do the above cast on using the center pull and the outside end at the same time.
b) mohair - no problem, use the two skein method
c) one skein of mohair - OK, you got me. (You never want to center pull mohair. You will end up with a tangled mess that you will probably not be able to untangle. Ever. Don't ask me how I know this. I've blocked it out. Suffice it to say, the birds at our old house in Tucson, have a ready-made, expensive, mohair nest.)
Every time, Ruth!
P.S. That beautiful yarn is Schaefer Laurel in the ever-lovely Frida Kahlo colorway. Tracy and I just call it the "woman yarn". I have three colorways in Laurel and one in Elaine. Only one has been knitted into an FO. But they frequently get pulled out for admiration purposes.
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