Long Tail Cast On --- WHY??

What is the purpose of the long tail cast on?

Brenda

On May 14, 8:07 am, "Brenda" wrote:
What is the purpose of the long tail cast on?

Brenda

"This creates a nice, stretchy edge that works well for stockinette
stitch or for ribbing. Easy to knit from, easy to pick up stitches
from, this is also the fastest cast-on I know, once you get the hang
of it. It's even faster than Single Cast-On when you take into account
that this method creates an already knitted row."
- http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/

VP

To get the knitting started, maybe?

On Sun, 13 May 2007 15:07:50 -0500, "Brenda"
wrote:

What is the purpose of the long tail cast on?

Brenda

Vintage Purls wrote:
On May 14, 8:07 am, "Brenda" wrote:
What is the purpose of the long tail cast on?

Brenda

"This creates a nice, stretchy edge that works well for stockinette
stitch or for ribbing. Easy to knit from, easy to pick up stitches
from, this is also the fastest cast-on I know, once you get the hang
of it. It's even faster than Single Cast-On when you take into account
that this method creates an already knitted row."
- http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/

What VP said. Though I take exception to the part about creating an
already knitted row. It's not the same size as a regular row (as if you
were to do a backwards loop CO, then purl the first row), and shouldn't
be counted as one.

sue

In article ews.net,
suzee wrote:
Vintage Purls wrote:
On May 14, 8:07 am, "Brenda" wrote:
What is the purpose of the long tail cast on?

"This creates a nice, stretchy edge that works well for stockinette
stitch or for ribbing. Easy to knit from, easy to pick up stitches
from, this is also the fastest cast-on I know, once you get the hang
of it. It's even faster than Single Cast-On when you take into account
that this method creates an already knitted row."
- http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/

What VP said. Though I take exception to the part about creating an
already knitted row. It's not the same size as a regular row (as if you
were to do a backwards loop CO, then purl the first row), and shouldn't
be counted as one.

It can be the same size, if you do it loosely enough, but I think it
makes that first row backwards. I still like it. It makes a good
solid start to the knitting. I don't find it as stretchy as some do,
but that's also a matter of how you do it.

=Tamar

On Mon, 14 May 2007 09:48:22 -0700, suzee wrote:


I just really get annoyed when How To directions for it say `this CO
makes a row of knitting so you should start your pattern on the WS row'
or something to that effect. This is so not true

Why isn't it true? If I design a sweater pattern I might say:

"Cast on 300 using the long-tail method. Next row is a right-side
row."

Why would I do that? I want the purl bumps inherent in a long-tail
cast-on to be a design element. It isn't true or untrue - it's how I
designed the sweater.

and really confuses
beginners because they think they shouldn't do R 1 or that they should
count the CO as a `row' when knitting X for 10 rows or something.

That's a fault of the pattern designer and/or the pattern editor and
has nothing to do with the cast-on. The designer's job is to produce
a garment with some sort of instructions for reproducing same; the
editor's job is to turn the designer's chicken-scratch into
instructions usable by your average "must have a pattern to follow"
knitter. If the instructions are unclear or the knitter inexperienced
then confusion will ensue, but don't blame the cast-on for that.

CO, not a row and it's not necessary to with R2. After a person has some
experience they can decide what looks better to them in a particular
pattern.

Indeed.

On Sun, 13 May 2007 16:23:32 -0700, suzee wrote:


What VP said. Though I take exception to the part about creating an
already knitted row. It's not the same size as a regular row (as if you
were to do a backwards loop CO, then purl the first row), and shouldn't
be counted as one.

Were you to make a backward loop cast on and then knit those loops
you'd end up with a smaller (in the sense of less wide as well as
tighter), less-flexible edge than were you to make a "standard"
long-tail cast-on. Why? Because as you knit the loops the loops
tighten up, you take the slack up into the next loop, and the next,
and the next as you work across the cast on. Eventually you work
several inches (or feet, if you're casting on something big like an
afghan) out of the cast-on edge and into the tail.

With practice and concentration one's long-tail cast-on row can in
fact be made at exactly the same gauge as the rest of the project.

Richard Eney wrote:
In article ews.net,
suzee wrote:
Vintage Purls wrote:
On May 14, 8:07 am, "Brenda" wrote:
What is the purpose of the long tail cast on?
"This creates a nice, stretchy edge that works well for stockinette
stitch or for ribbing. Easy to knit from, easy to pick up stitches
from, this is also the fastest cast-on I know, once you get the hang
of it. It's even faster than Single Cast-On when you take into account
that this method creates an already knitted row."
- http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/
What VP said. Though I take exception to the part about creating an
already knitted row. It's not the same size as a regular row (as if you
were to do a backwards loop CO, then purl the first row), and shouldn't
be counted as one.

It can be the same size, if you do it loosely enough, but I think it
makes that first row backwards. I still like it. It makes a good
solid start to the knitting. I don't find it as stretchy as some do,
but that's also a matter of how you do it.

Mine is pretty stretchy, but it's pretty individual too.

I just really get annoyed when How To directions for it say `this CO
makes a row of knitting so you should start your pattern on the WS row'
or something to that effect. This is so not true and really confuses
beginners because they think they shouldn't do R 1 or that they should
count the CO as a `row' when knitting X for 10 rows or something. It's a
CO, not a row and it's not necessary to with R2. After a person has some
experience they can decide what looks better to them in a particular
pattern.

sue

Actually, I think the long tail cast on is THE fast and easy way to achieve
a starting row that is the correct gauge. That is; that good long tail cast
on takes less practice and concentration to get good results than other
methods.

Where I have to cast on a bunch of stitches, I will sometimes use a another
piece of yarn tied to my working needle so that I can do a long tailed cast
on within the field of fabric, rather than just using a backward loop cast
on.

Aaron


"WoolyGooly" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 13 May 2007 16:23:32 -0700, suzee wrote:


What VP said. Though I take exception to the part about creating an
already knitted row. It's not the same size as a regular row (as if you
were to do a backwards loop CO, then purl the first row), and shouldn't
be counted as one.

Were you to make a backward loop cast on and then knit those loops
you'd end up with a smaller (in the sense of less wide as well as
tighter), less-flexible edge than were you to make a "standard"
long-tail cast-on. Why? Because as you knit the loops the loops
tighten up, you take the slack up into the next loop, and the next,
and the next as you work across the cast on. Eventually you work
several inches (or feet, if you're casting on something big like an
afghan) out of the cast-on edge and into the tail.

With practice and concentration one's long-tail cast-on row can in
fact be made at exactly the same gauge as the rest of the project.

suzee wrote:
WoolyGooly wrote:
On Sun, 13 May 2007 16:23:32 -0700, suzee wrote:

What VP said. Though I take exception to the part about creating an
already knitted row. It's not the same size as a regular row (as if
you were to do a backwards loop CO, then purl the first row), and
shouldn't be counted as one.

Were you to make a backward loop cast on and then knit those loops
you'd end up with a smaller (in the sense of less wide as well as
tighter), less-flexible edge than were you to make a "standard"
long-tail cast-on. Why? Because as you knit the loops the loops
tighten up, you take the slack up into the next loop, and the next,
and the next as you work across the cast on. Eventually you work
several inches (or feet, if you're casting on something big like an
afghan) out of the cast-on edge and into the tail.

With practice and concentration one's long-tail cast-on row can in
fact be made at exactly the same gauge as the rest of the project.

Interesting... I've been using it for years and years and find that it's
much smaller than the rest of my knitting. If I were to use much smaller
needles than I do, it may be closer to the same gauge.

sue
Perhaps you should cast on with larger needles than you need and then
change?
madelaine