Casting on stitches at end of each row - please help!

[mandyknits]

Hi,

I've only just discovered this forum and feel a bit cheeky diving in with a question, but I've tried looking elsewhere and I'm a little stuck.

I've got a pattern for a Debbie Bliss baby shrug and I'm stuck right at the start. It says to cast on 24 stitches, purl one row, then, working in st st, cast on 5 stitches at the start of each row until row is 74 sts. Given that it doesn't say which method I should use to cast on (I've used one needle & thumb method), I'm confused about how to add all these stitches. Also I don't know how to cast on additional stitches when purling a row. Would increasing one stitch into the first 5 stitches be the same as casting on 5? If not, do I cast on 5 stitches, then slip them back onto first needle and knit/purl them?

I'm so confused! I've been knitting just over a year and successfully tackled things liek lacework and entrelac, but this has thown me!

Any advice at all would result in very stong good karma vibes being sent your way!

Mandy

[Jan in CA]

There are several that would work, but I think most use the backward loop cast on for this. Here's some videos.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting...ques/index.php

[mandyknits]

Thanks, Jan, that's really helpful in helping me understand which kind of method to use for casting on, but I'm still confused about what to do with the stitches once they're on the needle. Do I cast on 5 at the end of the previous row and include them in the next knit/purl row, or do I slip them onto the right needle without working them and start knitting from the previous row end? It's very confusing that the pattern says "cast on 5 sts at the beg of next 10 rows" as it feels more instinctive to cast them on at the end of the previous row and then work them on the next row. Is there a difference?

Sorry if this is a bit vague, but then so is the pattern! I feel I must be missing something obvious in all this. It would be very like me - for ages I didn't realise that when you pick up stitches down the side of a garment you're meant to pick up and knit, so I'm probably making another basic error here too!

Thanks,
Mandy

[Jan in CA]

Well w/o the pattern I can't tell for sure, but generally you knit to the end and then use backward loop to cast on to the needle with the stitches already on it. Then you turn, knit across and do the same thing for the other side.

[suzeeq]

Yes, incorporate the new stitches with the old ones. You'll be adding width on for the sleeves.

sue

[mandyknits]

Thanks girls, I feel much better about tackling this now.

Cheers,
Mandy