Tubular Ribbing Technique using a Scrappy Provisional Cast on

[b15erk]

I’m writing this tutorial for me, mainly as an aide memoir,  because every time I need to use this technique, I have to hunt around for points of reference.  I am not a natural intuitive knitter, and I have to really think about patterns and what I want from them.

I discovered the Provisional Cast On technique years ago when struggling to master the art of circular knitting and it’s still a WiP for me.  I really had a hard time with starting my projects, and before I’d made any significant progress, my ribs had stretched out, and looked a mess.

So, I did some research, and found if I used a provisional cast on, the stretching wouldn’t be so much of a problem, however the idea of doing a fresh cast on each time, seemed a waste of time and yarn.  So, I developed the idea of re-using a scrap starter, and it has made life so much easier.

Then I had another revelation, the tubular cast on.  This made a lovely rib, but the techniques I found were so complicated and long winded, they were never going to happen.  The idea of combining the two techniques developed gradually, but, I’ve now got a method which works for me, and makes circular knitting less scary.

1.   My scrappy starter is growing as I do more projects, but it’s really easy to use.  I simply look at the pattern, halve the number of cast-on stitches, and adjust on the starter.  So,  if my starter has 50 stitches on and I need 130  for the pattern, halve that to 65, and increase the stitches on your starter from 50 to 65.  Doesn’t matter too much about spacing as long as you have 65 stitches on the starter.

2.   Then change to the needles needed for the project, knit a few rows straight (I find a bright contrast makes life easier), and then change to your project yarn.  I then knit 4 rows, which works best for me.

3.   On the fifth row, you need a cable needle or a crochet hook, and you are going to start picking up the purl bubble on the row where you’ve changed to your project yarn.  This is easy to see, as it’s where the two colours twist together. Knit your first stitch, then pick up the project colour loop, put it on your left needle, and purl it.  The bubble you need to pick up lies between the stitch you have just knit, and the  one on your left needle.  Then repeat.  Knit one, pick up the loop between 2 stitches, put it on the left needle, and purl it.

4.   When you reach the end of the row, your stitch count should be doubled.  This can take a couple of goes to get right, so just keep your sample handy, and keep trying.
 
5.   However, if you are successful, and pick up all the stitches, it’s time to carry on with your pattern!  Simple as that!  I don’t remove the sample straight away, I carry on, until the sample starts getting in the way – or, I just want my knitting to look as it should.

6.   To remove the sample, find the tail where you begin the new yarn, then start pulling the stitches out.  You can cut them, but I prefer to remove them one by one – no chance of mishaps with the snips…  Do Not Unpick Your Project Yarn!  Only the sample yarn should be removed.

7.   TA-DA! You can now carry on knitting, and use your sample again.

I am not an excellent knitter, and these instructions may not suit you – or anyone!  It’s simply a method I’ve worked out, which works for me.

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Jessie

[Ploshkin]

Thankyou Jessie.  I've just done a tubular cast on for a hat, after you introduced it,  but didn't find it easy  to get.  Usually, I follow written instructions best but I actually got the looping on to the needle bit after watching a video.  I still didn't find it easy to do the first couple of rows and it's not particularly neat.  I think your method looks really useful.
How do you preserve your piece of provisional cast on?  Do you pick up the stitches onto a needle after you have cut it off?

[b15erk]

@Ploshkin ,  my original scrap is kept on a circular needle I don't use a lot, but it can easily be swapped if I need to use it.

At first I found it helpful to keep not only the scrap piece, but the picking up stage as well.  I have the memory of an earthworm where instructions are concerned, and I sometimes forget whereabouts on t'internet they are.  So, my knitting bag is full of 'visual samples'.

Jessie

[HenriettaMaria]

I never knew tubular cast on was supposed to be problematic, so I never have problems.  Maybe it's like souffles and bechamel sauces - if you're taught that they're tricky to pull off, you worry about them and they don't work.  DH has O level cookery and can't get white flour-and-fat sauces and the like to be smooth.  I didn't know they were supposed to be difficult and so they just work!

[Ouryve]

I get myself into a complete flap with anything involving a provisional cast on. I spent a week knitting one side of a sideways cardigan bodice, once, and ended up frogging it because I made such a horlicks of starting off the other side from the provisional cast on that couldn't fix it - certainly not in the state of annoyance it had put me into. The jog was annoying me, too. I'm not the most patient knitter!