How many of you did the simple half-hitch cast on, as I suggested, for beginning the edging pattern for the baby socks?
To me, the simple half-hitch cast on is one of the simplest methods to use as part of achieving an almost invisible seam in a narrow lace edging like we are doing for the baby socks. And especially for a case like this where a bit of seam line isn’t going to really matter much anyway.
There are methods to produce a totally invisible seam with a combination of provisional cast on and grafting, but they can get quite involved when there is lace patterning (i.e. yarn over’s) on every row as there often is for lace edgings. (that will be covered much later in the year after we get other things under our knitting belts)
Sometimes simplicity with ‘good enough’ results outweighs overkill.
Perhaps you used a different cast on. Maybe you didn’t know how to do a simple half-hitch cast on, … or aren’t quite sure if you did, … or you just wanted to use your own choice of cast on. Whatever you did, it’s fine as long as you are enjoying. I’m never going to be someone who says you have to knit a certain way.
For those who would like to learn (or re-learn) about the simple half-hitch cast on, there is a nice set of pictorial step-by-steps here at the How Stuff Works website. This webpage link will actually bring up a document with several types of cast on’s. They all have their place in knitting, but for now I’d like you to scroll about half-way down to the section called “Simple Cast On (Backward Loop Cast On)”.
I’ve heard this type cast on called other names such as “thumb cast on” and “twisted loop cast on”. There are probably even more I have forgotten! But they all use a single strand of yarn and just one needle to accomplish. For some people, the simple cast on was the first you learned. And then you were advised to never use it again. Too bad. It does have its place in certain situations.
When starting the edging for the baby socks with the simple half-hitch cast on, you should end up with something that looks like this:
[wp_lightbox_prettyPhoto_image link=”https://www.knitheartstrings.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Simple-cast-on-1.jpg” description=”The start of Quick Lace-Edged Baby Socks using the simple half-hitch cast on” source=”https://www.knitheartstrings.com/images/simplecaston.jpg” title=”Simple half-hitch cast on”]
Summary: The simple half-hitch cast has a place in your knitting bag of techniques for projects like the Quick Lace-Edged Baby Socks where you have a narrow lace edging that will be joined with an easy ‘good enough’ almost invisible seam.
p.s. As always, I invite your comments and questions. This is your site, too.
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This is the only cast on I ever knew. It hasnt failed me yet!
The half-hitch cast on looks like the thumb cast on that I do – at least it looks like my thumb cast on if I keep the stitches far apart.
There are lots of names for this type cast on. Try it and see if it ends up being the same. In certain cases where the first stitch of the row is slipped purlwise wyif after casting on (which sometimes is the case in lace edgings), it can make a difference in whether the working end is coming out back or front the loop on the needle.
If the working end is coming out the back as the work faces you to begin the row, the slip stitch will hold. If its not, the cast on stitch will become undone. So just check this out with your method.
I tried the half hitch cast on and I couldn’t keep the stitches on the needle so I tried again using the old long tailed cast on and I was able to make it work. I used some baby yarn from an old project of many years ago and tried the pattern in it. It looked ok but will look better in the finer thread and smaller needle. When I get paid again I will buy the thread to make the lace with for the baby socks to go with a blanket and hat and booties for my neighbor’s twin girls this summer.
I have used this cast on recently for a different project. I think it was referred to as the e or backward e cast on. It does take some practice to have a nice even cast on with the stitches evenly spaced but the result is worth it.
One of the ways I make this cast on more manageable is to cast on one or more less than I will need and when nearing the end of knitting the cast on row, I just twist on the remaining stitches from the slack yarn that has developed in the cast on. It works for me.
I think it’s a good cast on to get kind of comfortable with. And it’s a good increase stitch, too.
Thank you for this gentle refresher and reminder that what we first learned was and still is quite valid. Once I realize I could use this cast on method, I find all sorts of places where it’s just the “right” way.