crochet cast on perfected
for the perfect NECKLINE (or underarm or anything, really…)
No gaps, no holes.
There are video tutorials for the basic method here and here (from about 4:06). These are good for seeing the general technique in action. They start from no stitches (and also show how to use this cast on as a provisional cast on… which is too fiddly for me. For provisional I prefer the Winding Cast On).
For a neckline on a top-down pullover that is knit in the round, your cast on is an extension of already existing fabric and stitches.
This is how to do it.
(Yarn in photos: Fyberspates Vivacious DK in Spiced Plum and Peacock)
1. At the end of a RS row at Right Front edge, turn work over.
WS is facing.
2. Borrow the first stitch to make the initial loop for casting on.
Here, the crochet hook is slipped inside this first stitch so that it can be slipped off the knitting needle.
The yarn stays behind the knitting needle.
3. Fetch the yarn to pull it through the borrowed loop to make the first cast on stitch.
4. First stitch is cast on.
5. Place the yarn behind knitting needle to cast on the next stitch.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until the required number of stitches is cast on.
Note: If you are substituting this crochet cast on for another cast on, you need to cast on one extra stitch before replacing the borrowed stitch (step 8 below).
If you are following one of my patterns and there is a crochet cast on, then the extra stitch is already accounted for.
The extra stitch is decreased on the next round.
7. Final stitch. You still have a loop on the crochet hook.
8. Chain one — that is, make one more stitch but not around the knitting needle.
9. Place yarn behind knitting needle, place final loop on knitting needle.
Cast on is complete.
10. Turn work over and join to Left Front for knitting in the round.
11. Knit in the round to 1 stitch before the first cast on stitch (the one that used a borrowed stitch).
12. Make an SSK with the next two stitches (the last front stitch & the first cast on stitch).
(SSK: slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, knit the slipped stitches together through the back loop)
13. Looking good.
14. Knit across all cast on stitches to Left Front.
Consider the pesky space.
15. Make a YARNOVER with LN to close the space – in the yarn between the last cast on stitch and the first Front stitch (not with the working yarn).
16. K2tog – knit the first Left Front stitch together with the yarn over you just made.
17. Contemplate the beauty of your work.
18. This is the Right Front one round later. Nice!
19. And left.
This neckline can be left unfinished or finished with a collar of some sort. My sweatrrr and Simple Ziggurat have simple collars added, but could both be left raw, when raw is this smooth. (See photo below.)
The crochet cast on can also be used to add stitches to the fronts of a cardigan as in Strrripes, for example (see previous post!) or for any cast on knitted back and forth rather than in the round. The decreases on the following row then differ a bit (for Right Front you make p2togtbl on WS and for Left Front a k2tog on RS).
This is a photo of sweatrrr with the neckline left raw:
(Yarn: Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply in Silver & Bronze)
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20 Comments
Thank you so much! I’ve been using crochet cast on for ages and have been always unhappy with how the beginning and end looked. Now you showed me the perfect way to deal with that problem. I just wish I learned it earlier! We need to spread the knowledge.
Yes, we knitters are a bit like missionaries, aren’t we! Spread the word! 🙂
In fact, I recently came upon an even neater ending for this cast on BUT… it’s not good when joining two pieces as for a neckline, so in those instances I’ll keep doing just what the tutorial shows. I’ll add a photo or two for the neater ending (instead of just replacing the loop onto the Left Needle, you chain once more but not across the needle, and then replace this new loop onto Left Needle. Neat.)
åsa
I am with Alyssa about the first and last crochet cast on of old. What you have created is so far beyond excellent I have no other words for it.
Your tutorials are succinct and leave no questions for the reader. Others go on and on, and make it challenging for the reader to extract the essence of the tutorial. That drives me nuts!
Only recently have I found your site, and am so thankful I have. You now have a loyal follower.
So pleased you find the tutorials useful! Thank you! What would we do without the internet???! So many techniques available just via a click or two. I love it.
Hi, top down neewbie 🙂 for a top down cardigan, would I need to do a crochet cast on with a smaller size needle for the first row and then change to the one I’m knitting the rest of the cardigan with????
Excellent tutorial by the way
I don’t know the answer without knowing what you are trying to make more precisely. I usually cast on with the longtail method for my own top down garments – and mostly use the crochet cast on for underarms and necklines and other things that extend or continue from an existing fabric. That said, the crochet cast on tends to tightness so I would probably not use a smaller needle – but it depends on how your cardigan is constructed.
Oh, and thanks!
Brilliant! It worked out wonderfully on my Simple Aran.
How pleasing!
Åsa, thank you for your tutorials! They are fabulous. I am so happy that I discovered your blog. 😊
I have just used this tutorial for casting on underarm stitches for the cardi I am knitting (unfortunately not ziggurat, but one day I hope to knit one of your patterns also 😉). Your tutorial is for knitting in the round, but as in my case it is a cardigan, I had to reverse the orden on the wrong side and instead of ssk and k2 tog I made purl 2 together both times. I am not sure if it is the best. What would you recommend or what would you do in this case?
Thank you.
Thank you! I’m so glad they’re useful. Everyone has their own little trick, no?!
Hi,
I’d like to know if I’m already knitting in round, on which needle I’m doing the crochet cast on, the right or the left needle ? It’s the first time I have to cast on stitches when I knit in round :(. If I’m writing you the instructions, can you help me please?
Thank you in advance for your help
It depends what you are trying to accomplish or create with the additional stitches, I would think?
I looked this up once again. This is my favorite way to cast on more stitches now. Thank you!
It’s mine, too!
Glad you like it!
This tutorial rocks. It was exactly what I needed and the first to even attempt to walk me thru it.
I am making Literally Over The Top, which is knit is a very unique way. You knit up the front, bind off the neck line stitches and then on the next row, cast on the back neckline stitches. This cast on gave me the exact same look to the new edge as the cast off did on the prior row. So neat and tidy and actually so easy…
Thank you for your well done tutorial
What you’re knitting sounds like some quite interesting engineering. Glad the tutorial helped. Thanks for writing!
What happens to the borrowed stitch? Do you replace it? Seems if you left it until the end of your cast on it would distort the fabric.
It is returned at the end as you can see in the tutorial (instructions for that are always in the pattern, too). No distortion – not sure what you mean. Maybe the wording makes you think so? The ‘returned’ stitch isn’t really the same stitch that you borrowed – it’s just a way to describe the process, and a way that reflects how I count my stitches. You could also say, take the last stitch and use it as a first cast-on loop, then cast on x sts – and not mention anything about returning anything. The x would then include that final ‘returned’ stitch and be +1 compared to what you find in the instructions.
I’m working on making Red Basalt from an individually purchased pattern. I was totally confused by Step 9 Separating Sleeves and Body. Thank you so very very much for the tutorial explaining how to do it! I am relieved to find the information! Much appreciated!!!!
I’m glad it helped! (The crochet cast on is just my preferred cast on for underarm and front neck cast on – you are of course free to use your own favourite(s)). Åsa