How to Double-Wrap Long Tail Cast On
This is the Breakers cowl from my book, Tempest. The whole cowl is worked in double garter stitch. I’ve developed a cast on that works beautifully with the double garter stitch. It’s worked like a Long Tail Cast-On with a double wrap so that you can begin working double garter stitch right from the cast on. I’d like to show you how to do it.
If you’re already familiar with the long tail cast-on then this will look familiar to you.
You’ll need a tail about four times longer than the width of the cast-on edge. So if the finished edge is meant to be 10” wide, then begin with a tail about 40” long.
Begin with a slip knot and place it on your needle.
There are multiple ways of working a conventional long tail cast on. In this tutorial I’ll demonstrate two different ways of doing the double-wrap long tail cast-on. You should be able to adapt it to your usual method.
Hold your yarn and needle the way you usually do for a long tail cast-on.
FIRST METHOD
I’ll begin by demonstrating the sling-shot method of casting on.- The tail goes over my thumb and the working yarn goes over my index finger.
- Create the initial loop as usual by inserting the needle through the thumb loop.
- Then wrap the yarn that leads to the finger twice around the needle.
- Draw the needle back out through the thumb loop,
- Drop the loop from your thumb and tighten the loop.
SECOND METHOD
The second method I’ll demonstrate is more like knitting the stitches off of your finger.- Wrap the tail end of the yarn around your left-hand index finger in the same manner as doing a backwards loop cast-on.
- Insert the knitting needle through the loop on your finger as if to knit.
- With the working yarn and your right hand, wrap the yarn twice around the needle.
- Draw the needle back through the loop on your finger in a knit-wise motion,
- Drop the loop from your finger and tighten the loop.
