How to Cast On in Kitchener Rib in Knitting

One of the difficulties of beginning a project with ribbing is that it often looks messy with a simple cast on. Kitchener rib cast on is a create way to begin a piece with ribbing so that the edge doesn't look as uneven as a typical cast on with ribbing. Using waste yarn, you can create a clean professional edge on your project.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Pull out a length of yarn that is three times the length of the project.

2. Wrap the yarn up over your index finger and over your thumb. This should create a straight line of yarn from your index finger to your thumb. Hold the ends of the yarn with the rest of your fingers and your palms.

3. Bring the tip of the needle under the yarn and turn the needle counter clockwise. This will create a loop around the needle. This is also going to form the selvage stitch. Hold this stitch in place with the thumb of your other hand.

4. Take your hand and turn the yarn to where you have a length of yarn that is on top and a length of yarn that is below that. The yarn that runs from your index finger to the needle and from the needle to your thumb creates a V on its side. The section from the needle to your index finger is the top and the section from the needle to your thumb is the bottom.

5. Take your needle and go around and under the yarn that is on the bottom of the V. Go under this section, back up in between the legs of the V and up to catch to top section of yarn. Take your needle back down again, with the yarn from the top wrapped around it, go around the bottom section and back up the way that you came. You will now have a new stitch on your needle.

6. Take your needle this time and go up and over behind the top of the V, in between the legs of the V, and go in front of the bottom section of the V. This will catch another stitch on your needle. Move your needle back up, behind the top section of the V. You will have another stitch on the needles.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until you have all the stitches that you need for your project.

8. Stretch out all the stitches that you have on your needle. When you look closely at the stitches, you will notice that some of the stitches look twisted on the needle. Looking down at the stitches, you will notice that they slant in different directions. The stitches that look correct on the needle and slant from right to left are the knit stitches. The stitches that look twisted and slant from left to right are the purl stitches.

9. Knit or purl the stitches according to how they are lie on the needle. This will give you the perfect edge to your ribbing.

Resources

• A great resource for all kinds of knitting techniques