Provisional Cast on

My Yahoo group EasySocks is doing a KAL found here. There are so many people having problems with this KAL - I decided that a tutorial might help. I am not saying this is the only way to make these socks, I am saying that this is the way that I make these socks. The socks are made with a worsted weight yarn, double stranded. I decided I didn't want to mess with two stands so I am using a chunky weight yarn single stranded. These socks aren't really designed to be worn inside shoes, but I have seen people do just that! There are no 'rules' - just suggestions.

For the beginning instead of using a figure eight or turkish cast - the pattern says to knit a square 4 stitches wide by 6 rows tall and pick up 4 stitches along each of the squares edges.

Looks easy right? Well it is easy -but there are a few tips to make it go a little smoother.

First, use a provisional cast on. That way you will already have stitches ready to go and won't have to fight to pick up one of the edges.

Second, when knitting your square - do NOT slip the first stitch (like you would for a gusset) - and use 'waste' yarn to 'show you were those stitches are to pick up.

Now - how to do that?

For the provisional cast on, take your sock yarn and your waste yarn and do a long tail cast on. Your waste yarn should be about the same weight as the working yarn.

Hold the waste yarn so that it is on the 'thumb' side of your long tail cast on.

Hold both the waste yarn and working yarn with your right hand and begin casting on as if you were using all the same yarn.


If you have trouble with this type of cast on - go here.



Notice that the waste yarn is a lot longer than the working yarn - there is a reason for this!



Do this cast on like you normally would following the arrows.



and on

Drop the thumb yarn and catch again for the next stitch.



There is your first stitch!


Now cast on 4 stitches

Now that you have your four stitches cast on - turn your work


you are going to make a loop with the waste yarn.


For this next row - you are going to purl so that you have a stockinette stitch square for your toe.


Bring your yarn to the front - but keep the loop of waste yarn hanging down (I promise there is a reason for this). You have crossed your waste yarn and your working yarn.
Purl your next row. When you get to the end there - turn your work and cross the yarns making a loop again.
You will knit the next row.



At the beginning of each row, you will cross your yarns before you begin knitting/purling, BUT YOU WON'T MAKE ANY MORE LOOPS.




Knit and purl for a few rows - making sure at the beginning of each row you 'catch' the waste yarn.
You will end on a knit row.

Crossing the yarns will 'show' you the side stitches that you need to pick up. See here - I have knit enough rows that I have four stitches to pick up on this side. I hold the waste yarn at both ends (that is what the loop was for) and pull slightly in order to 'see' these stitches. I DO NOT PULL OUT THE WASTE YARN YET.

Now I am ready to pick up a 'side' of stitches.


I will put my needle next to the waste yarn in a stitch.


I will knit this stitch and all the side stitches in this same way, by putting my needle next to the waste yarn and then knitting it.


Once I have knit all these stitches I grab the waste yarn and pull it out of the stitches without disturbing the needle.


Viola!


Now I am at the bottom - where the provisional cast is located. Because of the nature of this type of cast on - you do not really have four stitches to pick up so you have to force an extra stitch in there. So, I pick on the first stitch and make it one of my four (the first arrow on the right). Those are the four stitches I will pick up.



I put the needle in and knit as I go removing (picking) out the waste yarn. If you don't pull the waste yarn out as you go - it will be VERY difficult to remove (I don't even know if it is possible).



After you pick up those stitches - you are on the last set of pickups!! You will pick up and knit these side stitches the same way you did the first side.

(Or you can slip a needle in all four stitches at once and then knit into them if you would like).


Just remember to knit them off so that you have added the last row of pickup stitches.


Then you can pull out your waste yarn as you did before!


There you have your knitted square - ready to knit around and up the sides of the feet!



There - that wasn't so hard - was it?

If you are using circular needles - just pretend that two of the double points are circular needles - you are treating the stitches the same.

Now you will knit just like the pattern states up to the heel.

Remember to do invisible increases so that you do not have holes in your socks.

I usually just knit into the front and back of each stitch OR I will do a reverse loop (e) cast on.


I will show you how to do the heel next week.