Crochet Chain Provisional Cast On
What is a Provisional Cast On? A provisional cast-on is a blanket term for any sort of cast-on which leaves live stitches, which can later be knit from in the opposite direction. Provisional cast-ons are often used in seamless knitting patterns, and at Tin Can Knits we design mostly-seamless patterns for your knitting pleasure!
This versatile cast-on technique is used in the Lush cardigan, the Low Tide cardigan and the Gramps cardigan.
HOW TO CAST ON PROVISIONALLY USING THE CROCHET CHAIN METHOD
- First use a contrast colour yarn to crochet a chain of more chain stitches than you need to cast on.
- Then use the working yarn and needle to knit into the back of this crochet chain, pulling up your cast-on stitches.
You can see this method in even more detail here (it is used as part of the garter-tab cast on, the method used in many triangular shawl patterns).
Later, when you want to knit in the opposite direction, you will have unpick the provisional cast on to free up those live stitches so you can place them back on your needles.
HOW TO UNPICK A PROVISIONAL CAST-ON
- First, find the end of the crochet chain that has a little knot tied in it. You tied this knot when you created the chain, to indicate the end from which the chain would easily unravel. Loosen the final loop, pushing the yarn tail back through the loop.
- Now you can pull on the end of the yarn, and the crochet chain will ‘unzip’ naturally, leaving live loops that you will put onto your needle, one at a time. Once you have all the stitches on the needle, you can attach yarn, and simply work them following the pattern!
Did this help? Is there a provisional cast-on method that you prefer? Leave us a comment to let us know! If you like our designs and tutorials, you should sign up for our great email updates to receive notification of new patterns, techniques, events, and subscriber-only special offers.
Tin Can Knits patterns that use a provisional cast-on:
I haven’t tried a crochet cast on – perhaps I will when I knit Low Tide
Usually I cast on in a scrap yarn using a cable cast on, then knit the first row in my “real” yarn. Similar sort of unpicking required.
Yay! Great tutorial!!!!! (dbbstitch on Ravelry)
Oh bless you!! This is awesome!
“Awesome!” was my first response, too. This is an excellent tutorial. Thank you.
Thank you for telling how to UNDO the crochet provisional cast on! I’m currently working on my first project involving this method and was starting to wonder how the hell I was supposed to pick up my live stitches at the end… Now, I’m all sorted!
Glad you found this useful! The crochet provisional take a wee bit longer than some other methods, but I like it because it seems pretty foolproof (and that works for me!).
This is a great tutorial and like Sylvie, thank you for the “undo” instruction. There’s always something new to add to the knitting skills!
I truly dislike this method of making a croched edge (for a provisional cast on, or for a crocheted cast on. I think it is awkward and a PITA to do. It is much easier to make a crocheted edge over the needle.
I suppose if you are first a crocheter, this method might work. but really it not an easy method.
agree to disagree
This is my preferred method as well. For me it ensures that I pick up the crochet ‘bumps’ in the right direction and that I have plenty of stitches. I showed it to a friend of mine recently and she was really surprised at how easy it was. She has a problem with discerning how stitches are seated on the needle, and has actually picked up out of the wrong loop of the crochet chain, ending in a lot of curses as she had to pull the yarn through each stitch as she attempted to undo her cast on later.
Very good idea
This is great. I couldn’t figure out where to pick up stitches on the crochet chain. Now I know. Thanks! Your patterns are beautiful.
Reblogged this on The Darkness in the Light.
Thank you for this. I haven’t tried this method of casting on.