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A tutorial for a super-stretchy cast on. It is easy to do, strong and sleek (includes description, photos and a video).

My two favourite types of projects to make are lace shawls and socks. Depending on how you work them, either project may require a stretchy cast-on. The lace needs to be able to be stretched, sometimes vigorously, in order to open up the lace stitches and show off its beauty. Socks need to stretch around to the calf, especially when one has “fluffy” calves like I do.

I have tried lots of different stretchy cast-ons. The long tail cast-on is a great versatile and stretchy cast-on that I use a lot. However, when I want a super stretchy cast-on, I use the two needle slip stitch cast-on, TillyBuddy’s variation of Jeny Staiman’s stretchy slip stitch cast-on. While Jeny’s slip-knot cast on is super stretchy and strong, I had a heck of a time making it even and “sleek”. This variation adds the sleek back! I find it neat, tidy and very stretchy.

Features and Benefits:

  • Very stretchy.
  • Tidy.
  • Easy to do!
  • Can be used in the middle of your work.
  • As the name implies, this cast-on requires 2 needles, perhaps more if you are casting on to dpns (double pointed needles).
  • Requires a short tail: no trying to figure out how much of a tail to leave.

Disadvantages:

  • A bit complex to learn and remember even though it is easy to do.

The instructions sound long and complex when written out, but once you get the rhythm, the cast-on is fluid and relatively fast. You will also find a video showing how to do this cast-on below.

A Little Bit of Fun

We interrupt this blog post for a bit of fun:

Doing the Two Needle Slip Knot Cast-on

With the ball of yarn on your right, drape the yarn over your left needle with the tail end of the yarn behind the needle and going to the left, leaving a short tail (about 6 inches or 15 cm). Hold the tail down with your left forefinger. Allow the ball yarn to drape in front of the needle and to the right. With the right needle, go in front of the ball end and behind the tail stand from right to left. Rotate the needle tip up and to the right of the ball end. Scoop the ball end to the left and down, behind the tail end, pulling a loop of yarn down until the yarn around the left needle is snug. Slip the pulled down loop onto the tip of the left needle, without twisting it. Pull the ball strand down, away from the left needle to snug the new loop. There should be two loops on the left needle. Bring the ball yarn up, away from yourself, and continue over the left needle towards yourself until the two loops become one slip knot. That is one stitch cast on.

*Put your left index finger under the left needle, immediately to the right of the stitch just cast on. Slip the ball yarn under that finger from left to right, up behind the left needle and over it, towards yourself, letting it drape over the front of the left needle. Hold the yarn on the needle and pull your index finger out. Slip the right needle into the loop left by your finger, from the back to the front. Rotate the needle tip up and to the right of the ball end. Scoop the ball end to the left and down, behind the tail end, pulling a loop of yarn down until the yarn around the left needle is snug. Slip the pulled down loop onto the tip of the left needle, without twisting it. Pull the ball strand down, away from the left needle to snug the new loop. There should be two loops on the left needle. Bring the ball yarn up, away from yourself, and continue over the left needle towards yourself until the two loops become one slip knot.

Repeat this process from the * until all the stitches have been cast on.

What kind of knitter are you?
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