The first step to any knitting project is to cast on for the piece. There are many different types of cast on methods, some being functional and some more decorative. In this video, Mary Beth Temple explains how to work a beautiful, decorative I-cord cast on.
To begin, Mary Beth casts on 4 stitches using the long tail cast on. Other stitch counts for this cast on can be used, depending on the desired look of the I-cord as well as the weight of the yarn being used.
I-CORD CAST ON
– Step 1: Cast on 4 stitches using the long tail cast on method
– Step 2: Slip 4 stitches purlwise from right needle to left needle, making sure that the working yarn is to the left of the stitches
– Step 3: Kfb, k3, slip 4 stitches purlwise from right needle to left needle
Repeat Step 3 until you have 3 stitches more than the number of stitches needed for the next row. In the video, Mary Beth works until she has 13 stitches on the needle – 3 stitches for the I-Cord and 10 stitches for working the swatch.
Finish this decorative cast on as follows:
– Slip 4 stitches purlwise from right needle to left needle
– K2tog twice, slip 2 stitches purlwise from right needle to left needle
– K2tog
The cast on is complete and you are ready to work the next row of your project!
ABBREVIATIONS
K: Knit
Kfb: knit into the front and back of the stitch
K2tog: knit two stitches together
