slippery slope...

knitted back double wrap 

Back to that dishrag, I had emailed Janet to ask about the cast-on and cast-off. The first row of the pattern is tuck on every other row (so is the last row) and if a simple ewrap is used, you need to knit a row, putting the carriage at the left. Then, another row is required to get back at the right for going into the tuck stitch, because DAK tells you what side the carriage must be on. I couldn’t wait for her reply so using that ‘2-needle ewrap’ (single strand) was perfect to eliminate the need for that second row of stockinette. 

double tuck row

I haven’t used this much on the standard gauge machine, but several of the trims I use on the mid gauge/LK150 start off with this, using the yarn double-stranded for extra bulk and in my book  The Handbook for Manual Machine Knitters, I’ve called it ‘Knitted Back Double Wrap Cast-on’. While making the third dishcloth, I was thinking of the cast-off. At the top, there is a doubled-tucked stitch on every other needle and again, to cast off over that with one row, it will roll to the back and because of the tucks, look messy. On the first one, I knit a row of stockinette to get rid of the tucks – rats! the carriage is on the left! I could cast off from here but it is slower so knit another row and then cast off. 

Current scenario, hey, what if I did a reverse of that cast-on? Ending with carriage at right, at the end of the tuck pattern, bring all needles out. Yarn at right, out of the feeder, take the yarn to the left, under the two next needles, and back into the hook of the first – knit that back for a large stitch, leave it in place. Take yarn to the left under next two needles, back to the right, drawing the first held stitch back, put yarn into the hook and knit it back for a large loose stitch. Continue across in this manner  to left. Break yarn and then chain off all the loose stitches right to left.

This results in both edges looking similar with a chain-stitch look on the purl side, matching the tuck. What the heck? It’s just a dish RAG! But, you never know when you can use that again in something real!

Oh man! I can see this is a slippery slope! Next thing, I’ll be knitting a tea cozy! ;)