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the simplest-ever provisional cast on
You need: 2 circular needles & yarn
Needle 1 = needle you will knit with
Needle 2 = holder for the live sts (use a smaller needle size for this — you want snug loops)
1.Tie a slip-knot and place on Needle 2. Hold both needles together, Needle 1 on top
2. Wind yarn around both needles (from below, up and over, around back)
3. Continue to wind
4. When you have the desired number of stitches, pinch the yarn against the needles and turn them around to knit
4.1 ...like this
5. Holding yarn in place, pull Needle 2 through to dangle freely
5.1 (Needle 2 pulled through)
6. Getting ready to knit
7. Place yarn over index finger (around/catching cable for Needle 2)
8. Knit
9. Continue to knit
10. Knit final stitch and leave slip-knot in place on Needle 2 (remove this knot before knitting the live stitches on this cable)
completed first row
first row WS (wrong side)
three rows completed
November 20, 2013 at 9:37 pm
This is just perfect, so much easier than the methods I knew! Thanks!!!
June 18, 2013 at 10:39 am
[…] provisorischen Maschenanschlags mittels einer Luftmaschenkette, verwendete ich hier erneut den “Winding (Provisional) Cast-On” mittels eines Knit-Pro Seils, welchen ich bereits bei anderen Cowls verwendet habe. Mag ich […]
January 12, 2013 at 5:23 pm
Well well well, I think I have just found my first step in learning new techniques, with a hope of becoming a Fair Isle knitter… eventually!
Many thanks indeed. Rosey.
January 12, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Fabulous! Can’t wait to see your fair isle project(s). (On Ravelry?)
on Ravelry: ravelry.com/designers/asa-tricosa
January 12, 2013 at 2:16 am
That’s one of the first one I ever learned.
January 12, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Lucky you! I don’t really see the need for any other… (not entirely true, but I now often use this for all sorts of things where I’d normally use the long-tail cast-on – it allows for flexibility about deciding on type of hem or border or length until the very end )
p.s. I take it then, that you have never had to swear over not having cast on the correct loop of the crocheted provisional, then, eh…? And not painstakingly having to unthread each and every loop of the waste yarn either.
on Ravelry: ravelry.com/designers/asa-tricosa
January 10, 2013 at 10:28 pm
THANK YOU!!!!!!! this is pure genius!!!!
January 12, 2013 at 5:33 pm
You’re welcome! It is indeed pure genius, but not mine! I had seen it somewhere but couldn’t find it again when I went looking for it. Hence my photo tutorial – it’s too good a method to be kept a (sort-of) secret. It’s apparently also called a Turkish Cast-On – that’s what other commentators have told me – and I believe them… and not only because they’re fellow knitters.
on Ravelry: ravelry.com/designers/asa-tricosa
January 10, 2013 at 9:40 pm
Great timing, starting a project using provisional cast on this weekend. I will certainly try this.
January 12, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Oh, good! What are you casting on for, then? Links, photos…? 😉
on Ravelry: ravelry.com/designers/asa-tricosa
November 22, 2012 at 1:23 am
What an AWESOME and simple idea – I too have never been able to unzip the provisional cast on stitches!! Bless you!!
November 27, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Glad it helped! And it truly is so simple. I can hardly believe just how simple. (I didn’t invent this cast-on – it also goes under the name Turkish Cast-On.) åsa
on Ravelry: ravelry.com/designers/asa-tricosa
June 23, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Perfect! Thank you for sharing.
May 24, 2012 at 9:25 pm
This rocks my world. Thank you so much!!!
March 10, 2012 at 10:45 pm
[…] starts with a very simple winding provisional cast-on. You toe-up sock people will probably recognize it as a Turkish cast-on, but used for flat knitting […]
March 10, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Truly amazing! What a wonderful tip. Thank you!
March 11, 2012 at 6:31 am
You are most welcome! Glad it may be useful to you — I use it ALL the time. All the time — also for quick swatching as the provisional CO unravels quite efforthlessly when it’s time to frog the swatch (to swatch again and again…) å.
March 12, 2011 at 4:54 pm
brilliant! thank you so much!
February 27, 2011 at 9:59 pm
[…] the edges to match, and everytime I do one I’m so grateful for the tutorial I discovered on Tricosa’s blog. Come the end there’s no crochet chain to try and unpick, I’ll just put the needle ends […]
February 15, 2010 at 8:40 am
Genius! 🙂 Thank you.
February 15, 2010 at 7:57 am
Just what I need, thank you.
February 15, 2010 at 7:14 am
I thought it was only me that couldn’t unzip a provisional cast on – this is now bookmarked-thank you