Professional Cast On

Professional Cast On

Doesn't that edge look nice? I used the Professional Cast On as taught to me by Linda - a co-worker when I worked at London Yarns. It most closely resembles the cast-on edge of a commercially-made garment.

Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to make this vest on the knitting machine. And I am. But the ribbing, I decided to do by hand. I have an LK 150 machine - a basic machine. Purl stitches each have to be manipulated by hand. Every other stitch in a K1 P1 ribbing! That allows for lots of opportunity for dropped stitches on the machine. So I decided to knit the ribbing by hand and then transfer the piece to the machine.

I have used my machine only once since our move. Coming close to a year and a half now. So it was back to square one. I had to get out the manual to remember how to get started. This is when I really miss my friend Patti-Ann. She and I worked together one day a week at London Yarns and she was my mentor on the machine - not to mention a million other things.

Gauge, as the knitters amongst you know, is a most important bit of info before starting the actual knitting. Without correct gauge information, the garment will either fit an elephant or an ant, but not the intended recipient. My goal yesterday then was to make a gauge swatch.

Simple eh? Well, I started early in the morning - no skiing as it was raining - and finished just before supper. How many gauge swatches can one make in a day. MANY! Believe me. But only the last one was accurate and correct.

Hopefully the actual knitting will go faster. After all that is the idea of using a machine. Cranking out the finished product in less time. I'll keep you posted.