Monica Knits

The I-cord bind off provides a stable, polished, textural finish which complements cable work. It is often seen on bib, potholder and cardigan edges, both vertical and horizontal. In the cabled cap, it finishes both the interior and exterior brim and provides a wear resistant edge. The bind off can be worked flat or in-the-round, with only a minor difference between the two.
Read more ..... for step-wise illustrated instructions.

The provisional or temporary cast on is used when you will knit from the foundation row, in the opposite direction, at a later stage of construction. By request, I have added a video showing the single row provisional cast on. To read the full article with step-wise illustrated instructions and view an instructional video "Provisional Cast On", Read more...

Picot Cast On After I wrote the picot bind off (cast off) article, there were a number of reader inquiries for picot cast on instructions. Like the picot bind off, you can create a delicate finish of bobbles of good elasticity--ideal for sock cuffs. Also like the related bind off, the picot size is determined by the number of stitches cast on and then bound off together. The picot cast on begins with a cable cast on, then employs a combination of cable cast ons and clustered bind offs similar to the picot cast off. Read more... for illustrated instructions and related links.

The provisional or temporary cast on is used when you will knit from the foundation row, in the opposite direction, at a later stage of construction. It may be used in a toe-up sock, when adding ribbing to the lower edge of a garment or when you will be picking up stitches from the foundation row to work later. One of the dresses I recently knitted has cross-wise bands of cables; using a provisional cast on helps avoid bulk where the two end seams are joined in the round. The provisional cast on results in a smooth transition between sets of stitches. Read more .... for fully illustrated article and instructional videos.
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