How to Make & Use a Cast On Rag by Diana Sullivan

[@mariann1026]

Merci pour ce partage ❤

[@lorainesteyn7445]

Bless you for showing this. Someone gifted me a machine that uses a caston rag

[@muhabbathojanova3998]

Salom judayam judayam havas qilaman ishlaringizga sog‘ bo‘ling

[@lily6397]

Great tutorial, I was looking for something like this because doing an e-wrap cast on is very tedious

[@billmckillip1561]

Nice project.

[@dexaria]

I was given a cast on rag with my machine but its old and broken, Thank you for sharing how to make them!

[@treehousefiberarts2694]

As always THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge!! Great video.

[@MaryAchieng-u4t]

Hello Diana, Thanks for always giving us new ideas. I hav never had of cast on rags

[@dianaknits]

The first time I saw the idea was reading a pattern for a T-top where you suddenly had to cast on lots of stitches. A cast-on rag plus ravel cord is ideal for thaat.

[@sandym7952]

HOW have I never seen this before?? Brilliant idea! Great video as always ❤

[@adafreda4703]

Una splendida idea. E una spiegazione perfetta! Grazie!

[@henriettestein352]

Thank you Diana, this is great!

[@flatbedlove]

I make split ring cast on rags for my standard gauge singer knitting machine. Works like a charm without needing a transfer tool. This idea began with when I just taught myself circular sock machines - (knowing nothing about cast on rags) - I came up with Universal Bonnets worked flat on a csm with split rings. :)

[@jenniferholloran8746]

Ms. Sullivan, I am so thankful for your tutorial videos. I do hope you would consider an instructional companion book at some point. Thank you for all your great instruction! Jen

[@dianaknits]

I have a lot of books and videos at www.dianaknits.com. Thanks!

[@jenniferturner2512]

Awesome I made one this afternoon it’s going to save me so much time and wool 👍

[@soraiaprst4784]

EXCELENTE DICA- OBRIGADA- 💐

[@umraedshaheen5883]

Good idea good explanation thank you

[@ZEOCARD]

Awesome!

[@hossenfeffer8383]

Hi Diana, thank you for sharing yet another very useful tip for machine knitters. I was thinking that i might try to incorporate a gusset along the bottom edge into which I could insert metal rods as weights to adapt the cast on strip for blankets that take the whole bed of my LK150. Not sure yet how I would do that but it seems like it would save the annoyance of knocking off the cast on comb, and having to interrupt the flow to pick up the weights off my feet etc, ouch. Thank you!

[@dianaknits]

You could certainly do that, or you could add drapery weights or a chain (less slippery). I prefer to use claw weights because I can play with the amount of weight as required by a specific technique or number of needles. Havine extra cast-on strip hanging is not a problem, but if you only use a few needles, you'd need several sizes of strip.

[@SaintScoutt]

Tutorial starts at 6:23

[@jennifercleaver4332]

This would be useful to cover the knitting when short rowing where the purl side is the right side. It would save getting a fluffy line on your work.

[@dianaknits]

Well, the problem is mainly on the right side, where the line really shows, and the rag wouldn't cover that. I like to take the whole neckline off on waste knitting, then rehang it in portions to work the neckline.

[@jennifercleaver4332]

@@dianaknits That's what I do too, but I thought if I were to cover the left side whilst knitting the right it would stop the yarn from fluffing up.

[@celestinecrews7229]

Hi Diana. I love your video. My combs somehow aren't working for me. I was looking for an alternative and that's when I stumbled upon your video. I am a novice flatbed machine knitter and I am always looking at your videos for assistance. I have a quick question. Can you please tell me how to close the ends of the working yarn once you take off the cast on rag? Are you folding it up and making a hem or are you stitching the bottom of the working yarn while it's attached to the cast on rag and ravel cord? If it is stiched, are you stiching the end of the working yarn just above the ravel cord?

[@dianaknits]

You have a lot of options to close the open stitches - you can do a hem, you can crochet, or you can latch a ribbing. All this video really shows is a way to start without a comb. You'd hang the rag, do one row with ravel cord, then the cast on or hem of your choice. Check out my beginner course for some cast-on and hem options, and then look at my latched ribbing videos, too.

[@serendipidus8482]

​Can you do a closed cast on with the rag? Or only open? I hate open.i have a fien guage machine so it's very difficult either rto do an e cast on for closed or to get a comb for it (it's not meant to need one but it does better with weights. And It's very hard to catch the stitches if it's open. ​@dianaknits

[@zposh-celestinecrews5682]

@@dianaknits Thank you.

[@serendipidus8482]

None of the videos I watched explained about the ravel cord so my first project has got the waste yarn attached to it! I am going to try crotchet one because to knit one id have to do e cast on and I just can't..I keep forgetting to push the know up when going over. Lol. So the ravel cord is just one yarn that's cut at both ends? And when I take that out will it be a closed cast on? I have a fine guage machine so it's all too much for me trying to do e cast on. I just did 120 stitches and forget to raise my knob so took the whole lot of like an eejit!

[@dianaknits]

I do not understand "raise my know." What's a know? Ravel cord is usually a piece of strong, thin, slippery string. I like Artiste crochet nylon in a #2 size for that. I also use the loop method with the last row of waste yarn if the waste yarn is strong and smooth. I have also used crochet cotton in a pinch, but the Artiste is much better. If you have no comb, check out my ravel cord cast on that is taught to Silver Reed knitters. Crocheting a rag is okay, or you can use a piece of loosely woven whatever, like an onion bag or a nylon loofah or something, just to get started. Trying to learn to machine knit on a fine knit is more difficult because it is so small and hard to see. You might really enjoy finding a mid-gauge or bulky machine and learn on that, then move into the tinier stuff.

[@serendipidus8482]

@dianaknits ah thank you I will look at those videos. I meant to say knob but autospell keeps changing it for me!! I just did crotchet a thing but it wasn't a good fit so I just started a scrappy layer with some scrappy yarn I had. It is going good now. 👍 apart from 2 lost stitches at the end ... im afraid I can't afford a new machine this is my grandmothers machine which I cleaned up to get running. So it's very old. But still seems to work. I feel like now I have it on I am going to make an enormous long peice of knit and just cut it to make my jumper rather than do any sort of shaping on the machine. Maybe that's a mad idea. Or else it will be a sqaure jumper with a sqaure top and sqaure sleeves. Because I have not the patients or eye sight for the rest yet. I'll get used to it eventually if I keep doing things more often. Thanks so much for your help.

[@dianaknits]

@@serendipidus8482 Actually, your plan is what many people do with fine gauge machines - they make fabric and use cut-and-sew techniques to cut it into garment pieces and assemble it later. Typically, you will need to put close-together sewing machine zigzag stitches on any edges before cutting so it doesn't unravel. A serger works well, too. You can find a lot of information about cut-and-sew, which is most often used on necklines.

[@serendipidus8482]

@dianaknits ah brilliant that is what I did at the cast on edge because I couldn't do an e shaped cast on so I did a zig zag. I think next time I will sew paper onto it because it went so wonky the hem was twice the size by the end of the run of stitches lol! Thanks so much! You are an angel. It takes a long time to figure it all out I just have to be patient and not give up.

[@dianaknits]

@@serendipidus8482 Great! Just keep on...

[@buckleybets]

When you pulled the cord off looked like you had cast on loops at the bottom? Will they stretch out and be safe?

[@dianaknits]

This is very often used with open cast-ons. If you use it that way, you still have to finish that edge or it will unravel You can also use it fo a closed cast-on, and then when you pull the cord, it won't unravel.

[@Ravencall]

I’ve tried a plastic mesh onion bag repurposed as a cast on “rag” for a circular sock machine or a flat bed. Yours looks much tidier. 😊

[@divalea]

Can a cast on rag be used for starting things (like socks or fingerless gloves) that’ll be knitted in the round?

[@dianaknits]

Yes, however, it's more trouble to hang it on both beds and do setup rows. You need HEAVY weights for circular knitting, so your cast-on cloth could need to be very sturdy, too.

[@famprima]

Frankly, this is also a perfect way to make a belt for any cardigan, jacket etc. It might need double the width and then sewing it together for sturdiness.

[@dianaknits]

It has a big row of loops along one side, so you might not like that. The big loops are handy for hanging on needles. . If I were making a belt for a cardigan, i would probalby knit a tube using the ribber, or knit a flat strip and fold and sew a tube.

[@conyde6920]

Hola Diana una pregunta, para que es esa tira?

[@dianaknits]

La tira se reemplaza haciendo tejido para desechar posteriormente. Cuelgas la tira, haces una fila divisoria y luego comienzas a tejer. Te permite lanzar rápidamente y también es útil en otras tareas.