Knit Like a Man - the Long-Tail Cast-On

[coraliechen]

Thank you so much. I get it. I have watched a few other videos and just not understood the thumb thing at the end. Your video is great. I can finally get started!

[FancyFancyName]

OH MY GOD. I've watched like three videos before this and I could not wrap my head around this cast on. Yours makes sense, man. Thanks so much!

[FionaJPark]

Thank you for this video. It was a breakthrough after trying top learn this method of casting on from diagrams.

[tangotonite]

cable cast on ?? do you know how to do this??

[tangotonite]

cable cast on

[BrooklynRagtag]

Thanks, dude! I always had to have my wife do this for me. Looking forward making myself a wool cap for the rest of winter.

[aaronbro6162]

hey im a guy who knits

[aaronbro6162]

hey this is really helpful ... thanks for the demonstration

[mybloodyshadow]

David, fellow man who wants to knit. MY issue is not in casting on, I'm trying to figure out what you do after you've casted on and established the length of the project. Like...how do I actually start turning it into something? All I know how to do right now is make one long ass piece of lovely material.

[BrooklynRagtag]

@mybloodyshadow Can you knit in a round? After the obligatory scarf, I learned how to knit in a round (which is actually easier, I think). If you can figure out how to knit two stitches together (which is exactly what it sounds like) then you can make hats, and from there you can make socks, or sweaters, or anything else that's basically made of tubes. There's also a million free patterns online. I say start with a basic beanie.

[sradefarras]

this is great! love it! love men who knit. shows what a REAL man is! you're great, dude!

[KnitterRT2009]

thanks so much David! i was trying so hard to figure this out from a knitting book.

I will have to follow you because you explained so clearly and made it easy to

understand...i wish I had logged on last night instead of racking my brain with

the knititng book.

[kelleyscrapping]

Thank you so much for this video. It took a few viewings and much use of the pause feature (LOL), but I've got it now.

Kelley

[canadianmama048]

you need to show slowly how to hold the yarn with your left hand,no matter how many times I watch this I still can't get it

[lavawax]

thank you....

I thought I was the only man.

[sgjy]

Yay I love men who knit! Go ddtoronto!

[carl95125]

Hey David,

After I cast on...I either have too much or too little tail yarn...what should I do?

Thanks,

Carl

[HoneyIsEvil]

thank you! this is the first time i've actually understood how to do this! you totally rock

[Khamomil]

I found the difficulty was exactly how long to make the tail? It happened several times that even though I had made a fairly long tail, it was still too short and I had to cast on all over again.

Now I wrap the yarn around the needle ten times before starting and measure the length, then measure this length as many times as necessary to get the correct number of stitches andI am never caught short again.

And I always cast on on TWO needles this way it's easier to knit the first row.

[sittingbuffalobill]

@Khamomil : tail should be about 3 times the length of the piece you are about to knit :)

[luckykazz]

I may not be a man, but this was the only video that actually managed to teach me how to do a long tail cast on.

Thanks!

[JustJeanette]

Brilliantly helpful. Thank you for a very easy to follow guide.

[thestarbox]

Very helpful. Thanks so much for sharing:-)

[anncoral]

thankyou......thankyou .....thankyou I can finally do it, after viewing all other videos this one was so easy to follow. Looks good to.

[LadyVania24]

Ahhh ok, that makes since now. I learn a weird way of doing the long tail cast on, and it left the stitches all loose and weird when I started my new row. Thanks for the thorough tutorial :) And kudos to you and other men who knit!

[Mar1anneC]

Great video. I have tried to learn this a bunch of times to no avail. I wasn't bringing the thumb look back over the finger loop on the needle. LOL. Thanks for helping me figure this out.

[jiangdawie]

stop talking, and get to the demo. cut the first 1:10.

[WAStateCitizen]

His talking was appropriate in trying to demonstrate that there are many ways to cast on.  I have had difficulty, myself. I like his way.

[ddtoronto]

Deathmonkey: If you were a man you wouldn't talk.

[Darthmonkey12]

If you were a man you wouldn't knit

[zoeyglass1]

thanks so much for making this so easy!

[meddddddddic]

Your video is great!! Thanks for making it easy!

[nadiapapineau]

This video is so helpful! Thanks so much! I cast on 7 different times with different videos until I found this one which is good enough quality that I can actually see what I am supposed to do!

Only one question, what do I do with the rest of the tail once I start knitting?

Thanks so much!

Nadia

[ddtoronto]

Hi Nadia--you cut what's left of the tail down to about 5 or 6 inches and then weave it into the work. My two comments directly above yours give some tips on how to do this. Good luck!

[ugoslow]

The easiest way to deal with the remaining tail from a long tail cast on is to work it into the first stitches of your next row, then cut it off.

Once you turn your needles around to begin the row after your cast on row, simply hold both strands of yarn together, knit or perl as normal, only wrap both strands around your right needle instead of just the working yarn. Pull both through, let the loop fall off the left needle, and repeat two more times. Then abandon the tail and continue

[ddtoronto]

The second approach I use, for garter stitch and, with a slight variation, for stockinette--is to again bring the yarn to the backside but this time to pull it up a few rows through the loops in the back, then weave it up and down through one row of loops and back through the loops on the row below, and then snip the end. Don't pull the tail tight. If you do this at the right tension, the tail will be almost unnoticeable.

There are other ways out there--just google 'weaving in yarn tails'.

[ddtoronto]

No, though I have to admit that would be a good one to do.

I have two approaches to weaving in tails. If the tail is attached to some ribbing--I move the tail to the backside of the work (if there isn't a backside, don't worry) and then, with a tapestry needle, I pull the yarn up through one column of stitches on the nearest rib, then pull it down through the other column and snip it. (This generally means moving the tip of the needle in a spirally fashion to get it through the columns.)

[ddtoronto]

The one situation where you definitely have to add extra length to the tail is when your yarn is bulky or unevenly spun. Heavier weight yarn and larger sized stitches tend to eat up more of the tail as you cast on. In that situation, I would try four times the width of the item.

And always remember you want to have at least five inches, and preferably six, left over so your tail can be woven in. It is obnoxious to try to weave in a tail that is three inches long.

[flippedchick]

Thanks for this information, just discovered your videos. They are easy to follow and your instructions make it easy to follow. Do you have anything on weaving in the tails?

[flippedchick]

How do you determine the length of the tail?  Let's say I need 93 stitches?

[ddtoronto]

The general rule is approximately three times the width of what you are knitting. So, for example, a scarf six inches wide should start with a long tail of about 18 inches. Another popular calculation is one inch for every stitch. I would pick whichever is longest and use that. Personally, I almost always add an extra 8 to every long tail because I'm neurotic :)

[Buck61]

A really good tip I learned for this cast-on, was to use a separate skein/ball for each 'end' of the cast-on. Tie the two together at the slip knot; after you finish casting-on, simply cut off one of the skeins/ball and proceed as usual. With this tip you don't have to worry about running out of tail.

[just4thelaffs]

WOW that was EXTREMELY clear. I'm a knitter and like you said have been doing the same beginner cast on for 10 years now. Finally finding a cast that looks and works better is a great relief. and you showed it slow and clear. thanx a ton for posting. can't wait to see more video. KNIT ON!!!

[deadlyromance]

I SEE POCKY IN THE BACKGROUND! : D

[maberrae]

omg! I finally got it. That thumb thing wasn't clear in any other video. Thanks!!!

[mhegs04]

thank you for the video I finally got it and you went slow enough for me to get it yeah!!!!

[skybluepink02]

I've watched so many videos trying to get this right and I finally did while watching your video. Thank you so much for posting it.

[bathooon]

This is WONDERFUL.. Thank you so much :-D

[jenandroid]

Thanks a bunch for posting this. It was very helpful.

[DangItsDanielle]

Out of all the videos I watched yours was by far the easiest one!

[dogdemonboy]

yay...i knit(and im a male)

[ddtoronto]

Yay is right--congratulations! Keep at it, and show us some of the things you've made when you're doing your videos...

[Buck61]

another male who knits here...Been knitting for years.

[dasgregorian]

I want to learn how to knit... chicks totally dig that. Maybe then, they wouldn't shatter my hopes and dreams, then leave me.

[ddtoronto]

Sorry, they may still shatter your hopes and dreams and then leave you. But they might have nicer scarves and sweaters :)

[FluorescentFossil]

wondwerful to see a man brave enough to admit he knits, my late hubby and I knitted for the boutiques but he started off hating to let any one see him knit. check out fluorescent fossils picture knits video, I will be back fot more tips thanks Florence

[winterdreams123]

What do you do with the tail????

[ddtoronto]

You cut it down to six inches or less (if it isn't already) and then weave it back in through the underside of the work--if there is one. If there is no wrong side, you weave it into the cast-on row.

[winterdreams123]

Thank you! :o)

[MerryChicky]

nice video. I like that you explained why it's a good cast on to know. I work at a yarn shop and this is the cast on we start new knitters with.

[LyndaHudson]

WOOHOOO...men who knit are SEXY!!!

[janlascko]

Thanks so much for your help on this! I own a small knit/crochet shop now, and inspired with great men like you willing to share this, I'm teaching! You can visit my li'l THEYARNIVAL dot com . Not trying to sell anything, just really trying to keep the 'ART' ALIVE!