Howdy, Spud & Chloë Pals! Neighbor Elizabeth here.

Well, how did the swatching go? Are you anxious to get started on your hat? Today, we’ll cover steps one and two of setting up our stitches for the tubular edge on the Chinese Lantern Hat using the Kitchener Rib Cast-On technique. (Step three will be covered next time, along with the chart.) This particular cast-on technique works well with the cotton/wool Outer yarn because it maintains its size and shape. I learned how to do this from one of my favorite knitting references, Big Book of Knitting by Katharina Buss.

Supplies

For the cast-on/set-up row, you will need:

• Size K crochet hook
• Smooth waste yarn close in size to Outer
• The largest of the three needles sizes you will use for your hat

For my hat, I used several strands of thinner cotton yarn held together to match the weight of Outer as my waste yarn. The needle size you choose will be a US 10 (6 mm) or two sizes larger than the size required to match gauge (needed for Step Three). My largest needle size, based on my gauge swatch, is a US 10½ (6.5 mm).

Kitchener Rib Cast-On Using a Crochet Chain

Step One

The pattern tells us to loosely crochet a chain of a minimum of 29 sts with the waste yarn. It should be at least 30 sts, but I recommend more, in case you have difficulty getting your needle into the next stitch. (I made mine with 30, but would have been happier with 40. )

Make your crochet chain.

Step Two

Turn the chain over, so the raised ridge of stitches is facing up, and begin to cast-on as follows:

Knit into the first raised ridge stitch of the crochet chain.

Knit the second stitch in the same manner.

Before knitting into the third stitch, make a yarn over.

Knit into the third stitch.

Four stitches total–viewed from the back, it’s easy to see the yarn over.

Continue casting on with a yarn over in between each stitch until you have 58 sts total, ending with a knit stitch.

Up Next

Making Magic: Knitting the ribbed band and working from a chart!

Happy Knitting!

~ Neighbor Elizabeth

Filed under: Free Patterns, Hats, Knitalong | Tagged: Knitalong |