How to Work a Chinese Waitress Knitting Cast On | Hands Occupied

Learn the Chinese Waitress Cast On to give your knitting a beautiful, reversible edge with a little bit of stretch.
YARN & NEEDLES
US 5 (3.75 mm) needles
Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn 24/7 Cotton® Yarn Yarn in Denim
INTRO
Opening animation by Dan Hartley, www.danhartley.video
MUSIC
"Olde Timey" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons...

[@curtaincrawler]

Thank you for not going too fast.

[@mizsherm4352]

Thank you, you're the only person who explained it so it would get into my head.

[@HarobedKnits]

This is much easier to do with a crochet hook for those who want this very nice cast on. Not nearly as complicated.

[@JosieStev]

Crochet hook is much easier

[@Mostly_Harmless99]

Brilliant! Much better for me too.

[@JosieStev]

Day 2, learning to knit. Ive crocheted since Lockdown 😊

[@handsoccupied]

You can do it! :)

[@courag1]

The result looks a lot like the crocheted cast on. It's interesting, got a name one can't forget. Okay, I did a swatch comparing to the crocheted cast on. the Chinese Waitress cast on is thicker, and attractive on both front and back. If one was doing the brim of a beanie where you were making a rolled brim, it would stretch and be very attractive. If you were doing socks, it is too raised unless you are going for a sock with a rolled edge. Stretch is great . I tried 2x2 rib on size 8's with knitting worsted. The edge is stretchier than any bind off I've tried . Thank you for the demo, was always curious what this was.

[@CatFromFL]

Chinese waitress cast on is much easier with a crochet hook, no reorientation needed.

[@barbarascanlan8896]

Yes, and much less complex than this version.

[@anacoba3210]

Thank you , great cast on

[@TH-dj3zo]

And how would you bind off so that it looks the same

[@handsoccupied]

I haven't tried this bind off yet myself, but I hear this one is a good match for the Chinese Waitress Cast On: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaPdqaioib1qj5I.

[@alohaoy]

What is the advantage to this complicated cast on?

[@handsoccupied]

It's stretchy, and it provides a symmetrical edge on both the right and wrong sides. It's also sturdy in addition to stretchy (which isn't always the case with certain cast ons). -Heidi

[@julialee3151]

The look of the edge.

[@talkingcrow]

It might need a better name...

[@handsoccupied]

I agree! Have you read about where it got its name?