What is a Cast On Rag?

A cast on rag is the most amazing substitute for waste yarn and can be used to create a quick provisional cast on.

Why use a Cast On Rag?

Let me count the ways????

1. Reduce the usage of “waste yarn”…we hate wasting waste yarn so we prefer to avoid it, at least for cast ons
2. It gives you a convenient place to hang the weights and are FAR easier and faster to use than a cast on comb
3. It allows you to cast on more “even” stitches and avoid the difficult “too tight” cast on
4. A small “rag” will provide support for just a few cast on stitches when making little trims or smaller projects  (try using a claw weight for casting on 3 stitches and you’ll understand why we love our mini-cast on rags)

Myths and Misunderstandings about the Cast On Rag:

• Cast on rags can only be used for open cast ons (those that are not secure/finished)
  
  No no no!!!!   We learned about the joy of using the cast on rag to support the ewrap cast on, the knitted back cast ons (knitted back ewrap, knitted back figure 8 etc).   When we first read about this we thought “What’s this about?”   But now we know, the cast on rag is far more suitable than the use of the cast on comb.   Not sure about you, but our cast on comb likes to hop off of the knitting, leaving the knitting unevenly weighted.   With our cast on rag, we can evenly weight the knitting with weights or with a PVC pipe.
   
• To use a cast on rag, you indiscriminantly poke the needles through the knitted rag “anywhere” on the rag.
  
  GEE – NO NO NO!!!   You cannot have knitting ABOVE the needles, that isn’t a great idea!   You do act like you’re rehanging stitches onto the needles.  So when in use, your cast on rag should have just a row of stitches resting on the needles.  Now, it IS ok to skip stitches of your cast on rag…no one, including your knitting will care about the occasional missed stitch, one pulled from the row below etc.    However, it should generally appear to be orderly…hung like a piece of knitting would have been.
  <---purple and white item is a cast on rag!
   
• A cast on rag is difficult or time consuming to make
  
  Nothing could be further from the truth!   We think they make great beginner projects and we make at least one on every new machine to test all the needles across the bed.  Boo boo?   Who cares…we just secure it and move along.  It’s just your cast on rag!   We can make one in 15 mins.
   
• A Cast on Rag is difficult to use
  
  Nope…if you do it our way, those stitches will almost jump onto the needles all by itself!   Using ravel cord is VERY simple.  You just thread it into the carriage and go.
   
• A Cast on Rag is for one time use
  
  Why would we spend the time if it was a one time thing???     No!!!!   If you use ravel cord, your cast on rag can be used over and over again.   If you don’t use ravel cord…uh, your cast on rag could be a one shot deal or you’ll have to unravel the entire knitting (or cut it off…)

How Should I make the Cast On Rag?

Supplies:

• Cheap cotton yarn that will knit at approx tension 3 or 4.   Don’t use wool or any yarn that is very splitty because it’ll become harder to rehang the stitches.   You need yarn in two different colors
• Ravel Cord (optional during construction, required during usage)

1. Use waste yarn or another cast on rag to create an open cast on using tension 3 or 4 (which ever gives you a normal, not overly tight or loose sample).   We make several of them.  At least 1 the full length of the bed, at least 2 that are half the length of the bed, at least 2 that are 25% of the bed, then at least 2 that are your favorite swatch size + 10 stitches (assuming that this size is different from 25% of the bed), then a few small ones that are approx 10 st, 20 st etc for smaller details.
2. Knit 40 rows for a mid gauge or 60 rows for a standard gauge – of course, these are just guidelines.  We knit approx 4” because we like our hem to accommodate a 1.5” diameter PVC pipe
3. Now pick up the open cast on stitches, rehang it on the needles to form the pocket.
4. Knit at least 10-20 rows more so that there is space between the needles and the weights.
5. Increase the stitch size to the highest, largest stitch size setting.  Change yarn colors, knit 1 row with the larger stitch size
6. Change the stitch size back to the original tension setting and continue to knit with the contrasting color of yarn for 5 rows then bind off.

Note – we make different cast on rags for each gauge of machine.  You could use a standard gauge cast on rag for a midgauge machine if you occasionally skip a stitch.  But use of a midgauge cast on rag doesn’t work nicely on a standard gauge machine.

How Should I use the Rag?

Fold the rag in half along the big stitch row (where the two different colors of yarn meet) with the purl side out.   Notice how those loops just pop up, very big!   If you use the cast on rag with the machine gauge that you made it with, the spacing should be very close to the spacing of the needles and you can just place the loops on the needles.  If the loops are “flat”, just use a transfer tool to hang them on the needles.   If your loops become pulled and misshapen over time, just pull the the top and the bottom of the cast on rag, you’ll see the loops in the large row realign again.  You can then fold it in half and the loops will pop up, proud and fast!

Once the number of desired needles have the cast on rag hung, thread the ravel cord into the carriage, as though it were yarn.  Knit one row.  Unthread the ravel cord and put your yarn in the feeder.  You can now start to knit, if you want an open edge (or will cast off or finish it later) or you can cast on now with the yarn then start knitting.

<----purple yarn is the “contrast” yarn – see the really big row!!!   Fold in half with the purl sides out, and those loops will stand straight up so that you can hook the loops on the needles

<----view of hung cast on rag from under the bed

<---click to see a larger photo….the bottom two were made of yarn that was too big for a standard gauge and didn’t allow us to get our large stitch row for easy hanging.  Therefore, these will be difficult to use. 

How to Store Cast on Rags:

Labeling Your Cast on Rags: