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November 29, 2005
Tubular cast on
My deepest, warmest gratitude to you all, for your support. The encouragement and feedback you give is the best possible motivation to keep working.
I found myself, unexpectedly, with a free afternoon so I’ve seized the opportunity to compose a little tutorial for two of the design elements used in Jemima: the tubular cast on, and a sewn buttonhole. Button loop, to be more accurate. I’ll post the cast on today, with the buttonloop to follow.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.
1. Using waste yarn (the same weight as your main yarn), cast on half the number of stitches called for in the pattern. If your pattern calls for an odd number of stitches, add 1 and half that number. Change to your main yarn and purl 1 row, knit 1 row. Repeat last two rows.
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2. With WS facing, purl the first stitch. The arrow is pointing to the first stitch of your work, held on waste yarn.
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3. Pick this stitch up on your left needle.
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4. Knit into the back loop of the picked-up stitch.
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5. Purl 1 stitch from left needle. The next stitch to pick up and ktbl is shown with an arrow.
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6. And here it is picked up. Ktbl as per step 4. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to last stitch.
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7. Purl last stitch. There is one more stitch to pick up and ktbl. It hardly looks like a stitch, just a wrap of yarn around the very end of the row. Don’t worry about it too much: as long as you get your needle into that knot, you should be OK.
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8. Ktbl into picked up stitch
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9. Carefully unpick waste yarn to reveal your beautiful tubular cast on. You have your reward.
Posted by Anna at November 29, 2005 04:21 PM
Comments
Thanks so much for this! So clear and concise! Excellent.
Posted by: Cara at November 29, 2005 04:18 PM
This is highly useful knowledge. Thanks very much!
Posted by: Beth S. at November 29, 2005 05:14 PM
Great tutorial. I never understood the tubular cast-on until now. What cast-on method did you use for the waste yarn- long tail or crochet?
Posted by: Christina at November 29, 2005 05:19 PM
*sound of penny dropping*
Posted by: B. at November 29, 2005 06:19 PM
Very nicely done! Thank you.
Posted by: Martha at November 29, 2005 07:47 PM
First time to comment here, I've been reading for a few weeks.
I just have to say, that is the best tutorial for tubular cast on yet.
I was just thinking this morning that I would like to know this technique for my next project. Serendipity!
I love your blog and your creations!
Posted by: Melissa at November 29, 2005 09:21 PM
Thanks for the tutorial. It is very clear, I'll have a go...
Posted by: francoise at November 29, 2005 10:21 PM
Thanks for the wonderful tutorial and the lovely pattern. I have a lovely light pinky-purple for the main color and taupe for the contrast. Can't wait to get some holiday knitting out of the way so I can focus on the fun!
Posted by: Amy at November 29, 2005 10:54 PM
Wonderful! I get it now... I'm so excited now I just have to get your pattern. I'm looking forward to your button hole edition.
Posted by: margaux at November 29, 2005 11:12 PM
Brilliant! I am not much of a commenter, but this post just forced me to come out of hiding. I have been thinking I really should teach myself how to do tubular cast on and you come up with such a clear, understandable description. I totally got it without even having needles and wool in my hands. And thanks:)
Posted by: shelley at November 29, 2005 11:17 PM
Fabulous tutorial! I'm so glad you put this together.
Posted by: Purly Whites at November 30, 2005 12:34 AM
Fabulous! I've been trying to figure this out for a couple of days and now it makes sense. Thanks!
Posted by: Liz at November 30, 2005 01:33 AM
Thanks for the tutorial, I have been hunting high and low for a pictorial of the tubulat cast on.
Posted by: erin at November 30, 2005 02:20 AM
Thank you! Your pictures make this so clear.
Posted by: allison at November 30, 2005 06:04 AM
Aha! That makes sense now. I've used the tubular cast on before, but was never quite sure where that last stitch should come from. Now I know. Thanks!
Posted by: PIgwotknits at November 30, 2005 09:27 AM
Thankyou Anna. It all looks so much clearer now. Can't wait to get started on Jemima.
Posted by: Susan at November 30, 2005 09:49 AM
Thank you! Now it makes sense, and I can't wait to try it out. You rock!
Posted by: kim at November 30, 2005 03:00 PM
Hi Anna, I like your work a lot and would like to email with you about KnitKnit. Can you please contact me as I cannot find your email address on your blog. Thank you! Sabrina
Posted by: Sabrina at November 30, 2005 04:49 PM
fantastic tutorial! thankyou for taking the time to do this- it's very much appreciated! Jemima looks wonderful too- I'm very tempted to give both her and the cast on a shot...
Posted by: Di at November 30, 2005 09:32 PM
Excellent and very straight-forward instructions Anna - thanks!
Posted by: Vicki at December 1, 2005 08:21 PM
You are too good to us! Tubular cast on tutorials!
(We can have a mutual admiration society :)
Posted by: Lynne S of Oz at December 2, 2005 12:13 PM
Hi Anna,
I'm now addicted to your blog. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knitting with us- I also have a blog, (that I've been sadly neglecting for months,) and you've really inspired me. I will get right on to creating some posts and taking some pics of what I've been knitting lately. I've just started designing for myself and I am so impressed with your expertise after designing for less than a year. Did you ever come up with a computer program that does the maths for you?
Kylie
Posted by: kylie at December 3, 2005 06:24 PM
This is a wonderful tutorial - thank you so much for doing this!
Posted by: Esther at December 4, 2005 02:58 PM
Thanks for this, Anna!
(Jemima and the recent socks are *gorgeous*.)
Posted by: alison at December 5, 2005 01:30 AM
Amelia,
Please email me. I'm working on an article for a knitting magazine you might be able to help me with.
Many thanks! Your work is lovely.
Posted by: Leslie at December 7, 2005 05:31 PM
I love your blog, and thought I'd tag you with this favorite knitting spot meme: www.wbnm.blogspot.com
Posted by: Beverly at December 8, 2005 04:10 PM
Anna- thanks for the post- best pictures on this topic I've seen! I hope you are well, happy, and busy in a good way.
If you have a moment, would you please email me with your mailing address? Pretty please? I promise to use it only for good and noble purposes!
Posted by: Mary-Heather at December 10, 2005 05:38 PM
Great tutorial! Can't wait to start on my jemima. Now hurry back and post some more!
Posted by: yahaira at December 11, 2005 01:50 AM
By the way, isn't your heading's typeface new? I think it is really hand-lettered because the a's and e's are different. How long has it been like that? (I made a comment much like this once before, and it turned out the change was about two years old.)
Is there a prize for noticing?
Posted by: B. at December 11, 2005 06:25 PM
Cool, I've been wanting to try this for ages. It's the next NEW thing I'll do this year :)
Posted by: Annarella at January 6, 2006 12:07 PM
Wow! This is the best tutorial on tubular cast-on I've seen anywhere to date! Thanks for the help, I feel like I can try this now!
Posted by: sarah at July 22, 2006 06:32 PM
Anna: Is it possible to do a tubular cast on for work in the round? LaVada
Posted by: Lavada at July 28, 2006 10:26 PM
thanks so much for this detailed tutorial!! the step by step pictures are excellent!
Posted by: Sam at August 6, 2006 10:38 PM
Thanks for such a helpful tutorial. I'd been intimidated about trying the tubular cast-on, but no more! Your designs are lovely; hopefully I'll one day feel accomplished enough to attempt on.
Posted by: Katie at November 18, 2006 08:23 PM