I love doing the long tail cast on. It’s what I use probably 98 percent of the time. It’s quick and easy once you know how to do it, but it can be a challenge, especially when you’re casting on a lot of stitches, to know how long your long tail should be.
A reader recently sent in this video tip that will help you make your long tail the right length every time; it’s actually the method I use most of the time when I’m casting on this way, too.
I’ll save you the click and tell you that it’s a matter of wrapping the yarn around the needle once for each stitch you need (or if you’re casting on a bunch, wrap, say, 20 times and then use that amount as a measurement to get up to the number you need).
I would add that you should do this kind of loosely because if you wrap the yarn too tightly you won’t have enough to make the stitches.
Do you do something like this when you’re estimating for a long tail cast on? Do you actually measure the length you need or do you guess? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
[Photo via Sheep Thrills.]
When doing the long-tail cast-on, I use 2 strands of yarn…either from 2 balls or from the outside and inside of 1 ball. You can cast-on any number of stitches you need without having to estimate, or without ever having a tail that ends up too long/short. Once the stitches are cast-on, you just need to cut one yarn and continue knitting with the other.
Thank you so much! I always guess, but I won’t anymore
Once, I cast on 100 stitches, pulled them out and stretched that yarn between my arms. Now I know if I stretch out my arms as far as they go, with the yarn in my hands, I have about 100 stitches worth of yarn. To make up for needle sizes, I generally add a bit of yarn to the final amount. It usually works out pretty close and any excess can be used for seaming, if necessary
Thank you for including my tip on Craft Gossip!! <3