Waste Yarn Cast On
The Waste Yarn Cast On with Ravel Cord (also known as the Scrap and Ravel Cast On or Provisional Cast On) is a fundamental Cast On technique in machine knitting. It is used to create a temporary edge that can be easily removed, leaving a row of "live" stitches on the machine or ready for later manipulation.[1]
Components[edit]
This cast on method utilizes two distinct types of auxiliary yarn in addition to the main working yarn.
Ravel Cord[edit]
Ravel Cord (also called rip cord or cast on cord) is a smooth, strong cord designed to slide easily out of knitted stitches.[1]
- Properties: It should be hard-finished and smooth. Fuzzy cords can leave lint in the knitting and are prone to breaking during removal.[1]
- Materials: Common materials include silk, crochet cotton, or dress yarns. Silk cord is durable and reusable, while crochet cotton is an economical and readily available alternative.[1]
- Color: It is crucial to choose a ravel cord color that contrasts sharply with both the Waste Yarn and the main working yarn to ensure visibility during the process.[1]
Waste Yarn[edit]
Waste Yarn (also known as scrap yarn) is any yarn that is not intended to be part of the final knitted fabric.[1]
- Properties: It can be fuzzy, inexpensive, biasing, or simply leftover yarn. It should be similar in weight to the main yarn to ensure proper tension and stitch formation.[1]
- Color: Like ravel cord, waste yarn should be a different color from the main yarn to make the main yarn stitches easily distinguishable.[1]
- Reusability: Waste yarn can be reused until it begins to shred, or it can be disposed of after a single use.[1]
Method[edit]
The general steps for performing a Waste Yarn Cast On with Ravel Cord are as follows:
- Set up the Knitting Machine with the desired number of needles in working position.
- Knit a few rows with the Waste Yarn. This creates a base for the main knitting and allows weights to be hung.[1]
- Knit one row of Ravel Cord. This single row acts as a separation point between the waste yarn and the main project.[1]
- Switch to the main yarn and continue knitting the project as desired.[1]
Advantages and Uses[edit]
This provisional cast on method offers several benefits for machine knitters:
- Live Stitches: It provides a clean edge of live stitches that can be easily retrieved for finishing, joining pieces, or creating seamless edges.[1]
- Protecting Delicate Fibers: By starting with waste yarn, delicate fibers are protected from direct contact with the cast on comb or weights, which can sometimes snag or damage them.[1]
- Supporting Lace and Weighted Projects: For patterns like Lace that require immediate weighting but cannot be worked directly next to the cast on edge, the waste yarn area provides a stable section to hang weights, allowing patterning to begin immediately on the main yarn.[1]
- Achieving Even Ribbing: When knitting Ribbing on the machine, the initial rows can sometimes be wavy. Using waste yarn and ravel cord helps create a straight, even edge, even before steaming.[1] It can also be used as an alternative to a "Broken Toe" Cast On for ribbing.[1]
- Lifeline: Ravel cord can also be used as a Lifeline within a project to secure stitches at a certain point, allowing for easy unraveling back to that line if mistakes are made.[1]
Removal[edit]
The magic of ravel cord lies in its easy removal. Once the main knitting is complete, simply grab one end of the ravel cord and pull firmly. The cord will slither out of the stitches, causing the waste yarn to fall away and leaving the main yarn stitches open and ready for further work.[1] This eliminates the need to painstakingly pick out individual stitches.
Related Concepts[edit]
Cast On Rags[edit]
For repetitive projects or to save time and yarn, machine knitters can create permanent "cast on rags". These are pre-knitted pieces, often made by loosely casting on over the full needlebed, knitting a few rows, and then loosely binding off. A cast on rag can be quickly hung on the needles to begin knitting immediately, serving a similar purpose to the initial waste yarn rows.[1] Swatches or even mesh produce bags can also be adapted for this purpose.[1]