Provisional Cast-on

licata519 · 05-03-2006, 12:38 AM

I have instructions calling for a temporary cast-on, so I tried the provisional cast on in the video here, and came up with a sloppy mess. And I can't figure out how I could knit off of it. I went to a different site, and saw this,
http://www.knittingatknoon.com/ProvCaston.mpg , and I did it, and it looks just like a longtail cast on to me. What am I not getting, and can somebody give it to me? Could I just do a cast on with a different color yarn, and knit it, and then go back and pull it off?

brendajos · 05-03-2006, 06:18 AM

that's exactly how i do it! the other stuff just seemed like too much work to figure out to me!

Jackie F. · 05-03-2006, 07:08 AM

There is an alternate crochet hook method for provisional CO. However, it takes longer and IMHO is not as good. :crying: But you might like it, regardless.

Here it is: Using waste yarn, make a slip knot onto a crochet needle of similar or larger size. Then, make a loose chain of stitches equal in number to your CO sts. Add some extra chain sts at the end as a cautious measure. Drop the waste yarn and cut a 6" tail. You'll start the next set of instructions at this end where you just cut the 6" tail.

Turn the chain over so that you're looking at the bumps on the back side. Leaving a 6" tail, use the working yarn to knit a stitch into each bump (insert needle from below), just like you do when you pick up and knit stitches along an edge. [Make sure that you start at the opposite end of chain from your original slip knot. Also, start a couple of sts in on the chain -- it's better to have extra chain sts at each end.] After you've picked up the number of stitches you need to begin your knitting, turn your work. Now you're on the WS and will usually purl this row.

Later, when you come back to the provisional sts, turn your work upside down and keep the RS facing you. One stitch at a time, insert your needle from the left through each live stitch as you pull out the crochet chain from left to right. Make sure that you insert your needle from front to back so that loops are mounted correctly.

It's really worth it to figure out the provisional CO method Amy shows on this site because you can knit directly from it if you use the cable of a circular needle. The trickiest part to it is knowing where to direct your needle after the "behind, behind" part. I wasn't doing it correctly at first. Make sure that after "behind, behind" to draw your needle up by going in front of the white/lower strand of yarn, but behind the red/higher auxilary yarn . I didn't catch this at first because of the red background. One more note: after "behind, behind" tug the auxilary yarn with your left index finger so that the auxilary yarn on your right needle comes to the bottom of the stitch where it should be (if that makes any sense).

Good luck!

nicolethegeek · 05-03-2006, 07:53 AM

I used that same video to do my provisional cast on for my booger. I couldn't seem to figure out Amy's, and any of the other sites I tried, the diagrams and instructions just didn't click. I *am* a crocheter, so that made it a bit easier. As for knitting off the stitches, you treat the loops on the needle like you would normally knit them. The chain along the bottom edge I would treat like any other cast on edge. Clear as mud?