Cast offs

Today I have to write up a short bit about stretchy cast offs versus traditional cast offs for the gansey class, and then a quick how to, to make a full size gansey sweater.

So yesterday I played with knitting things that needed casts offs. I finished sock one of that nice rust coloured pair with the Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off.

My technique needs improving but I see what she is getting at. It is very stretchy, and will be tidy with practise. When it is done right, with the yarn overs wrapped the opposite way before every stitch, there will be a tidy row of nubs just below the cast off. You can see this on two knit stitches to the far right. Well, you can see it far better on my computer screen, but look for the tan coloured nub about 4 stitches from the right edge. That one shows it up best. There are way better photos on the net already, and a few reviews of the technique are out there too. Cat Bordhi endorses it, and I think, with practise, we can make our knitting look as tidy as her sock in the Knitty article did. Quite nice and I'll use it because it is far tidier than what I have been doing now and doesn't take a lot of time.

Then, for the sleeve edges on the Baby sweater, I used Elizabeth Zimermann's sewn bind off. This one is enormously pleasing.

It is rhythmic, makes a crisp edge, very well matched to a garter stitch project, or indeed any project where matching cast off to cast on matters - it looks a lot like a long tail cast on edge. It is easy and speedy to work. You do need to have a needle at hand, but I always have at least one with me anyway.

And I still hate my hair. And no sister dear. No photos. Shudders.