Looking for names and how-to's for a variety of cast-ons. Read somewhere there are at least 30?

websites or book references would be helpful

thanks

Hi,

Welcome to the board.

My favorite reference is Nancie Wisemans Fisnishing Technique's I think that is the official name. The thing I enjoy about this book is she will give you a technique the reason to use it and the reason why you might not use it, plus she has great clear photos.

As far as cast-on there are lots of different kinds. You will need to find what you like the best and what works best for what you are knitting. Not all cast-ons are the same as binding of is similar as well.

If you go up to the "find" you can search the board and I am sure this topic will have several postings.

June Hemmons Hiatt's Principles of Knitting lists 32 different cast ons and she didn't include the backwards loop method because she considered it unsatisfactory. That's a lot of ways of getting stitches on the needle!

There are a lot I can't name, but here are a few:

thumb
backward thumb
turkish
knitted
cable
crocheted
old norwegian
provisional
round rib
long-tail
reverse long-tail
channel island
kitchener
circular (Emily's)

Another good source for lots of cast ons is Montse Stanley's book. The name escapes me at the moment, but I think it's The Knitter's Handbook. Great resource for lots of things. I would have found working level 1 much more difficulr.

Over the 50 years I have been knitting, I think I have probably tried each type of cast on once. One swatch!

However for any genuine knitting project that has a real use, and not just an item in a curiosity box, I have only ever used [well at least 99.99%] cable cast-on

Let me sing the praises of cable cast-on.

It requres no special technique because it is purely knitting.
It is durable because the edge formed has a trebled strand.
It is for all intents and purposes reversible.
It is as elastic as the knitting which follows.
It is suitable for pretty well every practical use which requires a cast-on edge. [Maybe not the finest lace which requires picot cast-on]

There is one drawback - do not drop a stitch in the first row!

Best wishes, John

thank you all

principle of knitting is difficult to find, i read that a reissue by the publisher is plannned.

happy purling

tyresa

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a reprint. I heard from a publishing friend that she wants to update the book, and the publisher wants to straight reprint. So, impasse.

Your best bet is to check your library, and see if you can get it on an interlibrary loan. THat's how I saw it the first time, and then lucked into a yard-sale copy.

She's a wonderful author, takes the intimidation fector down several notches with her explanations.