[Morgan Girl]

I am usually pretty good at gaging how much tail I need to do a long tail cast on, but for some reason tonight I kept coming up too long. I don't know if I kept moving my hand without realizing it or what the heck my problem was, but I kept coming up way too long. Didn't want to waste all that yarn, so ended up pulling off and re-casting......... 4 times! Finally got the right number of stitches on with only enough tail to weave in a couple inches later on. Have 4 rows knit and have realized that I am not really wide enough after all! Not normally too fussy about the exact sizes of my baby blankets, but I stretched it out as flat as I could get it and it is just over 30 inches. Not wide enough. So now I am off to the frog pond to get rid of it all and start again with more stitches. It will be a wonder if I don't wear this poor yarn out before I get the first pattern repeat finished! 😞

 

[Jessica-Jean]

Have you ever tried the crochet-hook cast-on? Not as a provisional, but as the permanent cast-on. I’m in love with it!

 

[GrumpyGramma]

I share your agony! I finally decided to start my current WIP with a PCO. Before that I'd messed up the cast on one way or another a number of times. When I finally got started knitting I realized a few rounds in that I'd twisted it. I was so careful to check and recheck but there it was. I was too annoyed to do anything other than just rip it all out. I found out that for me avoiding a twist when joining in the round was easier once I transferred half my stitches to another needle. No bending of the cable to confuse the situation.

The PCO makes sense for this project, an ear warmer I want to be two layers. I plan to fold it lengthwise and I'll have the live stitches for a 3 ndl bo to finish it off.

 

[mamakaren]

I share your agony! I finally decided to start my current WIP with a PCO. Before that I'd messed up the cast on one way or another a number of times. When I finally got started knitting I realized a few rounds in that I'd twisted it. I was so careful to check and recheck but there it was. I was too annoyed to do anything other than just rip it all out. I found out that for me avoiding a twist when joining in the round was easier once I transferred half my stitches to another needle. No bending of the cable to confuse the situation.

The PCO makes sense for this project, an ear warmer I want to be two layers. I plan to fold it lengthwise and I'll have the live stitches for a 3 ndl bo to finish it off.

What is a PCO?

 

[gardencitygranny]

I am usually pretty good at gaging how much tail I need to do a long tail cast on, but for some reason tonight I kept coming up too long. I don't know if I kept moving my hand without realizing it or what the heck my problem was, but I kept coming up way too long. Didn't want to waste all that yarn, so ended up pulling off and re-casting......... 4 times! Finally got the right number of stitches on with only enough tail to weave in a couple inches later on. Have 4 rows knit and have realized that I am not really wide enough after all! Not normally too fussy about the exact sizes of my baby blankets, but I stretched it out as flat as I could get it and it is just over 30 inches. Not wide enough. So now I am off to the frog pond to get rid of it all and start again with more stitches. It will be a wonder if I don't wear this poor yarn out before I get the first pattern repeat finished! 😞

I got this hint from KP a long time ago; may be helpful in this situation. BTW, I think 30" is wide enough - my personal opinion. Here's the hint: "Easier to cast on 10 stitches, then pull it out and measure, multiply that amount by 22 and add an extra few inches for good measure."

 

[run4fittness]

What is a PCO?

provisional cast on. I use it a lot.

i have a system that works for me. Will take my chosen yarn, cast on 20 stitches, mark it, pull it out, and then measure what was used and get the length needed from that. Works for me.

 

[GrumpyGramma]

What is a PCO?

Provisional cast on. I was lazy. Sorry about that. I'm glad you asked!

 

[Jessica-Jean]

Provisional cast on. I was lazy. Sorry about that. I'm glad you asked!

Thanks for the explanation. I wondered too.

 

[KateLyn11]

Have you tried a long tail cast on with two balls of yarn? There are plenty of on line videos to show you how.

 

[cinknitting]

I normally use the inside and outside of either a cake or a skein to cast on- then you never have to guess!

 

[mathrox]

I share your agony! I finally decided to start my current WIP with a PCO. Before that I'd messed up the cast on one way or another a number of times. When I finally got started knitting I realized a few rounds in that I'd twisted it. I was so careful to check and recheck but there it was. I was too annoyed to do anything other than just rip it all out. I found out that for me avoiding a twist when joining in the round was easier once I transferred half my stitches to another needle. No bending of the cable to confuse the situation.

The PCO makes sense for this project, an ear warmer I want to be two layers. I plan to fold it lengthwise and I'll have the live stitches for a 3 ndl bo to finish it off.

I like the brim of an 1898 Hat for an ear warmer. Fold it in half and stitch the two halves together or crochet them together or knit them together.
The ear flaps cup the ears and the curve in the brim makes sure that the ear warmer isn’t in your eyes.

 

[Morgan Girl]

Have you ever tried the crochet-hook cast-on? Not as a provisional, but as the permanent cast-on. I’m in love with it!

I have not. I am going to have to look it up and give it a try.

 

[Morgan Girl]

provisional cast on. I use it a lot.

i have a system that works for me. Will take my chosen yarn, cast on 20 stitches, mark it, pull it out, and then measure what was used and get the length needed from that. Works for me.

That is one of the reasons I was so aggravated with myself! I did a 10-stitch cast on, pulled it out, but I didn't measure it on a ruler, I just took the yarn and folded it over itself to get length. Should have really measured with a ruler as my folds obviously ended up too loose, or maybe too many......or both. Sometime later and much mumbling under my breath, I did a knitted on one and finally ended up with stitches back on the needles and got 6 rows knit.

 

[run4fittness]

That is one of the reasons I was so aggravated with myself! I did a 10-stitch cast on, pulled it out, but I didn't measure it on a ruler, I just took the yarn and folded it over itself to get length. Should have really measured with a ruler as my folds obviously ended up too loose, or maybe too many......or both. Sometime later and much mumbling under my breath, I did a knitted on one and finally ended up with stitches back on the needles and got 6 rows knit.

Been there, done that! I can laugh at myself in hind sight, but at the tine it is really annoying.

Glad you are back on track.

 

[Jessica-Jean]

I have not. I am going to have to look it up and give it a try.

 

[MarilynKnits]

Have you ever tried the crochet-hook cast-on? Not as a provisional, but as the permanent cast-on. I’m in love with it!

Me too. Here are some video tutorials.
crochet cast on knitting - Google Search You always have exactly as long a tail as you want.

If I have sides, as for a scarf or on a garment where I will be seaming pieces, I also slip the first stitfh of every row as if to purl with the yarn in front.

I bind off in crochet as well. Here are some tutorials.

crochet bind off knitting - Google Search

To see if you like the techniques, you fan make a 5" square dish cloth and have a swatch that is useful rather than a waste of yarn.

 

[Vickie P]

You are not alone in this problem…

 

[Cathy B]

Have you ever tried the crochet-hook cast-on? Not as a provisional, but as the permanent cast-on. I’m in love with it!

And it perfectly mirrors the traditional cast off. I use it for all my scarves and blankets.

 

[Susan from NC]

I do the long tail using both ends of a skein; inside thread ant outer thread. Never come up short that way.

 

[beaz]

This guide to long tail may help you:

http://wynnknit.com/documents/Yarn%20Tail%20Estimator%20for%20Long%20Tail%20Cast%20On.pdf