Help with knitting pattern, please

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote" which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...

If you google for "figure-8 cast on" (and variations) you should find
a diagram. Getting it started is a bit finicky IMO, but I do use it
occasionally. An option is to cast on 8, knit back, knit into the end
of the cast-on, then pick up and knit across the other side, after
which you can proceed per the pattern.

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:19:49 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote" which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...

I HATE the figure 8 cast on! I have only done on circular needles, and have
never been pleased with it. I hope that someone else can help you.
Katherine

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Sorry, I'm really dense on this. (I've googled, but still find the figure-8
cast-on to be confusing).

Am I right in that the idea behind the figure-8 is to end up with a
filled-in oval? So, if (according to the pattern below), I were to cast on
11 stitches - then kind of pick-up and knit on the top and on the bottom
(22 stitches in total) - I could put those stitches on three needles and
then do the increase rounds?

Thanks for any help,

Shirley
"Slinky" wrote in message
...
If you google for "figure-8 cast on" (and variations) you should find
a diagram. Getting it started is a bit finicky IMO, but I do use it
occasionally. An option is to cast on 8, knit back, knit into the end
of the cast-on, then pick up and knit across the other side, after
which you can proceed per the pattern.

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:19:49 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote"
which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work
the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast
on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go
onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double
strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn
clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise
around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping
clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop
across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across
the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there
are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s
on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...

The idea is to make continuous loops around two needles, then to knit
into them. One side will be ktbl, as the "cast-on" will be twisted;
the other side will be "regular" knitting. You end up with two
needles with a wee bit of knitting between - a rectangle, if you will.
FWIW I find a raised increase (knit into the stitch below) to be the
best method of increasing for tip-up mittens and socks - no holes to
let in drafts as with a m1 and no "purl" bumps as with a kfb increase.

As I said, I find it to be more finicky than I care to deal with most
days, but I will use it when appearance is important - tip-up mittens,
for example. For socks I simply use a long-tail cast-on, then proceed
as your pattern calls for WRT increasing &c.

HTH?

On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 16:19:45 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Sorry, I'm really dense on this. (I've googled, but still find the figure-8
cast-on to be confusing).

Am I right in that the idea behind the figure-8 is to end up with a
filled-in oval? So, if (according to the pattern below), I were to cast on
11 stitches - then kind of pick-up and knit on the top and on the bottom
(22 stitches in total) - I could put those stitches on three needles and
then do the increase rounds?

Thanks for any help,

Shirley
"Slinky" wrote in message
.. .
If you google for "figure-8 cast on" (and variations) you should find
a diagram. Getting it started is a bit finicky IMO, but I do use it
occasionally. An option is to cast on 8, knit back, knit into the end
of the cast-on, then pick up and knit across the other side, after
which you can proceed per the pattern.

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:19:49 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote"
which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work
the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast
on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go
onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double
strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn
clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise
around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping
clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop
across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across
the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there
are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s
on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:19:49 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote" which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

It looks like this cast-on is intended to produce stitches that can be
worked in both directions, whereas most cast-ons produce stitches for
one direction only. I'm not familiar with this 'figure-8' cast-on,
but I wonder whether Barbara Walker's 'invisible cast-on' would work
as well? That also produces stitches for both directions and is
rather easy to perform. Instructions for it are in her "Knitting from
the Top Down", and in Jacqueline Fee's "Sweater Workshop"

I found these instructions for the Figure-8 Cast-on at Knitty.com:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATtiptoptoes.html

Scroll down to "Figure-8 Toe"; this has directions for picking up and
working with double-points, so I don't think that your thoughts to
work the tote with double-points until its large enough for the
circular needle, is at all out of line. Its perfectly logical.

I hope this helps
Is mise le meas
-==- Katzedecimal

I also find the figure-8 cast-on confusing. I have done it a couple of
times, but really don't like it.
Not much help, I know, but it is good to know that we are not alone.
Katherine

"Shirley Luton" wrote in message
news:BiiHb.841428$pl3.347339@pd7tw3no...
Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Sorry, I'm really dense on this. (I've googled, but still find the
figure-8
cast-on to be confusing).

Am I right in that the idea behind the figure-8 is to end up with a
filled-in oval? So, if (according to the pattern below), I were to cast
on
11 stitches - then kind of pick-up and knit on the top and on the bottom
(22 stitches in total) - I could put those stitches on three needles and
then do the increase rounds?

Thanks for any help,

Shirley
"Slinky" wrote in message
...
If you google for "figure-8 cast on" (and variations) you should find
a diagram. Getting it started is a bit finicky IMO, but I do use it
occasionally. An option is to cast on 8, knit back, knit into the end
of the cast-on, then pick up and knit across the other side, after
which you can proceed per the pattern.

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:19:49 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote"
which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work
the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to
cast
on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go
onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double
strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn
clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise
around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping
clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop
across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across
the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there
are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s
on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...

Very interesting! I may try this again.
Katherine
"Ennien" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:19:49 GMT, "Shirley Luton"
wrote:

Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote"
which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work
the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast
on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go
onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

It looks like this cast-on is intended to produce stitches that can be
worked in both directions, whereas most cast-ons produce stitches for
one direction only. I'm not familiar with this 'figure-8' cast-on,
but I wonder whether Barbara Walker's 'invisible cast-on' would work
as well? That also produces stitches for both directions and is
rather easy to perform. Instructions for it are in her "Knitting from
the Top Down", and in Jacqueline Fee's "Sweater Workshop"

I found these instructions for the Figure-8 Cast-on at Knitty.com:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATtiptoptoes.html

Scroll down to "Figure-8 Toe"; this has directions for picking up and
working with double-points, so I don't think that your thoughts to
work the tote with double-points until its large enough for the
circular needle, is at all out of line. Its perfectly logical.

I hope this helps
Is mise le meas
-==- Katzedecimal

I would I haven't managed the knack of knitting on two circular
needles - I much prefer my dpns!!! - The main thing here is that there
is no seam to sew up - so any of the 'toe up' cast ons would work as a
replacement *OR* you could just sew up the bottom - it wouldn't show
since it is to be felted - or can be a design feature - use a
constrasting yarn to sew it up

Sonya


Shirley Luton wrote:
Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote" which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...

Thanks to all for your advice. The knitty site explanation of the figure-8
cast-on worked for me enough to get a better idea of what was required. The
tote is knitted, felted and sitting on a form drying as I write (and a good
thing too, as it is a belated Christmas gift!)

Shirley
"Shirley Luton" wrote in message
news:9u2Hb.831078$pl3.727818@pd7tw3no...
Dear NG,
I'm hoping someone can help me with this pattern. It is for a "tote"
which
will be felted. I can't picture how the casting on works or how I work
the
pattern until it is on a single circular needle. I would prefer to cast
on
"normally" and then work on four needles until it's large enough to go
onto
the large circular. Do you think that would work?

TIA

Shirley

Note: Tote starts at the middle of the bottom.

Figure 8 cast on

With left hand holding the 4.5 mm needle tips parallel and the double
strand
tail of the MC between and behind the needle tips, wind the yarn clockwise
around the top needle tip, through the centre and counter clockwise around
the bottom needle, then through the middle again to begin wrapping
clockwise
around top needle. Repeat until 22 sts are on each needle.

Pull the bottom needle until its stitches are all onto the cord of the
circular needle, then with sz 7.5 mm circular, knit in back of loop across
the top 22 stitches. With the other 7.5 mm circular needle knit across
the
stitches on the 4.5 mm needle.

Note: always knit with the needle that the stitches are on until there
are
enough increases enabling you to knit onto the 80 cm length circular.

In crease rounds:

1st round * YO k1 YO knit to last 2 sts YO k1 YO k1* Repeat between *'s on
other needle. This is one round completed
2nd and every even round. Knit into the back of the YO and knit every
stitch
(increase similarly for 9 rounds)

84 stitches are now on 2 circular needles. Continue knitting on one
circular needle ...