[KnitFreedom] Italian Cast-On in the round – Perfect Invisible 1x1 Rib Cast-On

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The Italian cast-on makes a stretchy invisible edge that blends perfectly into 1×1 ribbing. The trick is the stitches that are used in the cast-on.

With a normal long-tail cast-on, the stitches that go on the needle are knit stitches, with a chain of stitches around the bottom to hold them together.

With the Italian cast-on, you actually cast on a knit stitch and then a purl stitch (I show you how in the video), thereby avoiding any line or separation when you start ribbing.

The trouble is, even though the Italian cast-on makes a perfect edge for ribbing, it's not very sturdy on its own. It's just one strand of yarn, like the backwards-loop cast-on.

So in order to make a gorgeous edge, the Italian cast-on needs reinforcement.

To Protect The Cast-On Edge, Add Tubular Set-Up Rows

For whatever reason, that's what they're called, and they are the perfect partner for the Italian cast-on. They add sturdiness and strength to the edge by creating a reinforcement of alternately slipped and knitted stitches.

Know how when you slip a stitch, the working yarn makes a little ladder across the back of the stitch?

On projects like Fair-Isle sweaters, the unused colors "float" across the back of the work, adding strength and warmth.

When we use that same technique on the Italian cast-on, the little floats pull the knitting together while the slipped stitches reinforce the columns of the ribbing and make the knit stitches stand out.

Use This Cast-On For Projects With Worsted to Bulky Yarn

Anytime you have a project that starts with highly-visible ribbing, you can add a nice edge using the Italian cast-on.

I especially recommend it for projects using bulky yarn, like my bulky-weight mitten pattern.

The reason for that is, the thicker the yarn, the more visible the cast-on edge.

Tip: Brioche projects are a great opportunity to use the Italian cast-on.

Brioche knitting is just ribbing at heart, only stretchier, so you do need to use a special cast-on like this one to make sure that the edge doesn't look funny.

In the video, I use a bulky-weight yarn to demonstrate the technique. You can see what the edge is supposed to look like and how nice it looks, especially on thicker yarns.

Tubular Set-Up Written Instructions:

Cast on an even number of stitches using the Italian cast-on. Turn work.
Row 1: K1, sl 1 wyif, move yarn to back. Repeat across row. P last 2 sts together. Turn.
Row 2: K1, sl 1 wyif, move yarn to back. Repeat across row. P last st.

Abbreviations:
● sl 1 wyif — slip 1 with yarn in front

Are you going to try this technique out? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

See photos and read the blog post here:
http://knitfreedom.com/cast-ons/tubul...

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