Cast On, Bind Off (33 page)

Hold the yarn in slingshot position, with yarn A (in this example, maroon) going over the thumb and yarn B (orange) going over the index finger.

Make the first stitch as in Long-Tail Cast On (
page 25
): Reach up under the thumb yarn, grab the finger yarn, and pull a stitch through. Pull the yarn snug around the needle.

Note:
For a simple contrast edge, continue in this manner across the cast-on edge. Yarn A (maroon) forms the border and yarn B (orange) is ready to knit the body of your garment.

Switch the position of the yarns before making the next stitch. This is what determines the finished look of the cast-on edge.

For cord:
Move yarn B (orange) from the finger
over
yarn A (maroon) and wrap it around the thumb. Move yarn A (maroon) back to the index finger, making sure it goes under yarn B (orange). This twists the yarns in a counterclockwise direction.

For braid:
Move yarn B (orange) from the finger
under
yarn A (maroon) and wrap it around the thumb. Move yarn A (maroon) back to the index finger, making sure it goes over yarn B (orange). This twists the yarns in a clockwise direction.

Continue casting on, switching the position of yarns between each stitch.

Another variation of the Long-Tail Cast On
, this highly decorative cast on creates a fun and beautiful edge. It lends itself to ethnic patterns, such as Latvian knitting, that involve complex colorwork. It is slow going and rather fiddly, but the resulting edge is stunning. Three colors are typically used; you can try more, but this creates longer floats that may snag, so you probably don't want to use more than four or five colors.

CHARACTERISTICS

• Beautiful multicolor edge

• Elastic edge

GOOD FOR

• Bottoms of mittens and hats

• Any multicolor knitting projects with more than two colors

Make a slip knot, leaving short tails, with all three colors of yarn (A, B, and C) and place it on the needle. This does not count as a stitch.