KNITmuch | Issue 06

Using a knit i-cord as a
cast-on technique
Allegro a non-allergenic yarn, in our exploration of
I-cord, in this case, how to use it for casting on.
When i-cord is used as a cast-on edge the result is a neat finish.
I showed you how to knit on an i-cord edging to
existing stitches. But looking at the above photo,
you really wouldn’t be able to tell for sure whether I
knit this blue-and-green i-cord onto the red garter
stitch, but I’ll tell you that I didn’t.
Instead, I made the i-cord first, and then with the
bright red, I added the stitches of the main part of
the swatch.
To do this, you need to look carefully at the stitches
in the I-cord and decide whether you want to use
the upper strand of a horizontal stockinette V-stitch
or the lower, and then you need to be consistent as
you work along the I-cord, always lifting the same
strand of the “V”.
How long should you make your i-cord cast on?
Well, you’ll need to do a bit of math. First, divide the
number of stitches required for your knit item. Let’s
say it’s a scarf with 55 stitches. Divide this number
by 3 and “keep” the remainder aside.
55 ÷ 3 = 18 with a remainder of 1.
Take the answer, in this case 18, and multiply by 4.
18 x 4 = 72, and then add the remainder.
72 + 1 = 73.
An i-cord cast-on can be used to create curved edges.
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KNITmuch | issue 6