MoreGreenWool: Twisted Cast-on

This is how I understand how the twisted cast-on works that is used so often now in sweaters that do not have a ribbing. It holds the fabric nicely together without rolling up. Most of the times that I have seen it it is being done with a doubled yarn for one hand. Please excuse the funny hand position, I could have used a third hand for the camera :)

twisted caston setup You will need one extra piece of yarn that is doubled up way longer than the width of the piece that you are planning on doing (green in picture). Set up a loop; I just loop my other yarn (that is attached to the ball) through the doubled-up part of the extra length of yarn. This loop counts as the first stitch.
twisted caston first stitch The next stitch is done in regular fashion as in continental cast-on (I think that's what its called). Follow the blue arrow: With your needle go under the front part of the loop around the thumb (the part that is closest to you, green doubled in picture), then over the single yarn (pink) that is being tensioned by your left hand index finger, loop this yarn again under the doubled_up thumb yarn. Let go of thumb yarn and tighten stitch.
twisted caston second stitch Observe the doubled_up thumb yarn now. After the last stitch, the thumb takes the yarn in the opposite fashion! The yarn that comes from your last stitch of the needle lies in front (facing you) and not in back as before!! Your needle goes under the thumbyarn that is away from you, over the single index finger yarn and loops this one through. Let thumb yarn go and tighten stitch. Continue in this manner until your number of stitches is reached.
twisted caston row Now purl back one row (not shown on picture!)! After this purl row, you are facing the right side and are ready for your first row of your pattern. Picture shows right side of cast-on row. Two colors were used only for clarification!
Hope this helps :)




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Please note that this writeup is copyright Etha Schuette 2003. You may distribute it freely and print off for your own use or your friends. You may NOT publish it elsewhere or sell the instructions in any format without first consulting the author.