Slightly nerdy technique analysis ahead. You’ve been warned.

I’m done with the picot hem on the Festjakke, now onto the colorwork! I thought some of you might enjoy seeing this neat technique (though for some of you master knitters, I’m sure it’s old hat! I do love learning new techniques!) For my swatch, I started with a picot hem. I had never done one from a cast on edge before, so using this technique, I worked a provisional cast on with a crochet chain, which I then unzipped once I had worked the right side of the hem, placed the live stitches on another needle and knit them together with the next row. This worked quite well and I was happy with the results, but I have to admit that I dreaded counting out 309 loops and picking up all those stitches! So I went looking for an alternative that might be easier for me.

Knitting Help to the rescue once again! Amy’s video for an “Invisible (Provisional) Cast-On” (which uses a straight piece of waste yarn instead of a crochet chain) seemed like just the thing. And then, during the video, she launches into using the cable from a circular needle in place of the waste yarn, and I was totally sold.

No waste! No crochet chain! Live stitches already on a needle, ready to be knit! I did have a little trouble at first, and had to watch the video closely to see how she was handling the cable, I kept trying somehow to loop it over my needle, but that didn’t work too well. The cable or the waste yarn really doesn’t move at all, it just gives you something to wrap the working yarn around to create the cast on stitches. Once I got the hang of it, it went super quickly. And, because I have an extra circular in approximately the same size, the live stitches were all set and ready to be knit right off it to create the hem, no extra steps!

Amy points out that this method results in twisted cast-on stitches, which then need to be knit through the back loop so that they lie straight. In my case, this worked to my advantage as well (Hurray for serendipity)! Anytime I knit stitches from two needles to one (as for a three needle bind off), it takes a little maneuvering, especially when I am pulling the new stitch through. I’ve gotten the hang of it, and can manage quite proficiently, but this way, the stitches are facing each other! Excellent. Passing the left needle through the front leg on the first needle and the back leg on the second needle and pulling the yarn through it is actually smoother & easier for me because of the orientation of the stitches. Love it.

It’s the little things, I tell you. I will definitely use this trick again, It saved me an incredible amount of time (especially when you consider how many times I counted all those stitches, just to be sure!) I loved watching the curly strip of fabric turn into a lovely, flat picot hem! Yum.

Now the only point up for thought is this. The pattern calls for a fabric facing to the front of the cardigan to add stability. I’m pretty sure the intention is for the hem to fold up over the fabric edges for finishing. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to handle that one.

Have you discovered any fun new knitting tricks recently?
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Now playing: Ani DiFranco - Fuel
via FoxyTunes

Who is playing at the Carolina Theatre in Durham tonight. It’s been about 3 years since we’ve seen her live - I cannot wait!

**ETA - She actually opened with this one. Perfect.