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An Update on the Stitches/XRX Story

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Recently I shared the news that XRX, the company behind the Stitches live and virtual events, had announced it would be filing for bankruptcy and was canceling all events. So far the actual filing doesn’t seem to have happened, and a search of the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website shows that XRX, Inc. is still in good standing, with its next annual filing due in June (the last one was filed June 17, 2022). The statement on their website says the company is “in the process of being dissolved” and that they are working with an as-yet unnamed bankruptcy attorney who should be contacted by creditors.

A virtual Stitches event wrapped up the day before the announcement that future Stitches events would not move forward and  teachers were not paid for those classes. There was also a virtual event happening in June that students have already paid for and teachers will not be paid for.

The next in-person event was slated for Minneapolis in August, so there are lots of victims here, including:

  • teachers who were planning classes, bought supplies, paid for travel and were expecting to be paid for the event
  • yarn companies big and small and other vendors planning to attend who might have paid for travel and who now have excess inventory without a place they were counting on to sell
  • students and others planning to attend who are out registration fees and travel expenses

While some travel expenses can be cancelled this far in advance without too much of a penalty, the main issue for students and others who wanted to attend the event is the registration fee, which likely would never be repaid by XRX.

There have been reports in the Screwed by Stitches Facebook group of people successfully getting chargebacks on their credit cards for these expenses. Even if the purchase was made outside the regular window for claims, it’s worth giving it a try because some credit card companies have been willing to consider the transaction date as being the date of the event rather than when the charge was made.

In that same group you will find lists of teachers and vendors who were scheduled to attend Stitches Midwest if you want to support them. I mentioned this in the first post, but if you are a vendor or teacher who has lost income from planned Stitches events that now aren’t happening, Knitty is offering free ads, and that’s another place the rest of us can go to support these members of our community.

LessonFace is offering reduced fees for teachers through August for those who would have been teaching at Stitches events and would like to use their platform. The offer is good on up to three three-hour sessions per teacher.

Jill Wolcott also has some great general advice on what to do when things go topsy turvy in the industry.

I’ll continue to update this story as there is more to tell.

Comments

  1. I am wondering if I should worry about my personal data, on the online account I had with Stitches.

Have you read?

Italian Cast On Knitting: How To Get That Perfect Stretchy Ribbed Edge

If you have been seeing beautifully finished knitted hats, sweater necklines and cuffs that seem to flow magically over the edge without an obvious cast-on row, there is a very good chance you are looking at an Italian cast on.

And yes, it is one of those knitting techniques that looks slightly terrifying when someone demonstrates it at full speed.

There is yarn swooping around a needle, stitches that don’t quite look like stitches yet and that tiny voice in your head saying, I could just use long-tail cast on and nobody would ever know.

You absolutely could.

But once you learn the Italian cast on for knitting, it gives 1×1 ribbing such a beautifully polished finish that you may find yourself looking for excuses to use it.

What Is The Italian Cast On?

The Italian cast on is a stretchy knitting cast-on method designed particularly well for 1×1 ribbing.

Instead of creating a firm row underneath your knitting, the cast-on forms alternating knit and purl stitches so the ribbing appears to continue right around the bottom edge.

The result is:

  • stretchy
  • neat
  • rounded
  • almost invisible
  • professional-looking

It is particularly lovely when you are knitting something where the cast-on edge is going to be very visible.

Think hat brims, sweater cuffs, sock cuffs and fitted necklines.

If you are still getting comfortable with ribbing itself, have a look at our guide to knitting ribbing and how it works before tackling this one.

Italian Cast On vs Tubular Cast On

This is where knitting terminology gets slightly messy.

You will often see the terms Italian cast on, Italian tubular cast on and even long-tail tubular cast on used almost interchangeably.

There are also tutorials that distinguish between them.

Generally, the Italian method refers to the special cast-on movement that places alternating knit and purl stitches onto the needle.

Some knitters then work one, two or several tubular setup rows before beginning the normal 1×1 rib.

Those setup rows help develop that beautifully rounded tubular edge.

So if your knitting pattern says:

Italian cast on

or

Italian tubular cast on

read the pattern’s setup instructions carefully rather than assuming every designer means exactly the same thing.

That little detail can save a considerable amount of frogging.

Ask me how every knitter learns that lesson.

Why Use An Italian Cast On?

The biggest advantage is elasticity.

Traditional cast-ons can sometimes create a firm cord along the bottom of your knitting.

That is perfectly fine for lots of projects.

It is considerably less fine when you have knitted a gorgeous hat and then discover the brim will not stretch over your head.

The Italian cast on allows the edge to stretch much more naturally with 1×1 ribbing.

It also looks gorgeous.

There is no obvious horizontal chain running beneath your ribbing. Instead, the columns of knit stitches appear to roll smoothly around the edge.

That is why you often see this technique used in professionally designed knitwear.

Best Projects For The Italian Cast On

Try the Italian cast on when knitting:

Beanie and Hat Brims

This may be my favourite place to use it.

A ribbed hat brim needs enough stretch to comfortably go over the head while still springing back into shape.

Sweater Cuffs

Those lovely fitted ribbed cuffs on hand-knitted sweaters look particularly polished with an Italian cast-on edge.

Sweater Hems

If a sweater begins at the bottom and uses 1×1 ribbing, this technique creates a much softer-looking transition than a conventional cast on.

Necklines

Bottom-up sweaters with ribbed neck treatments can benefit from the extra stretch.

Sock Cuffs

Stretch is obviously important here too. Nobody wants to spend hours knitting a beautiful sock only to discover the cuff behaves like a tourniquet.

Ribbed Cowls

The finish works beautifully on simple ribbed cowls where there isn’t much else distracting from the edge.

You can also browse these easy knitting patterns for practising ribbing if you want a project where you can put your newly acquired ribbing skills to work.

How To Work An Italian Cast On

There are several versions of the Italian cast on, and patterns sometimes specify exactly which setup they want you to use.

The basic long-tail version works like this.

1. Leave A Long Yarn Tail

Leave approximately three times the width of the finished cast-on edge.

I tend to leave myself a little extra because playing yarn chicken before you have even knitted Row 1 is not the sort of excitement we need.

2. Hold The Yarn Long-Tail Style

Arrange the yarn between your thumb and index finger in the familiar slingshot position used for a traditional long-tail cast on.

Your tail sits around your thumb and your working yarn around your index finger.

3. Form The First Stitch

Place the first loop onto your needle according to the Italian cast-on variation you are following.

Some methods begin with a slip knot while others avoid one.

4. Cast On A Knit Stitch

Move the needle under and around the strands so the yarn forms what will become a knit stitch.

Don’t pull it tightly against the needle.

5. Cast On A Purl Stitch

Reverse the movement to create the next stitch.

This creates the alternating structure:

knit, purl, knit, purl

that will eventually become your 1×1 ribbing.

6. Continue Alternating

Repeat the knit-stitch and purl-stitch cast-on movements until you have the required number of stitches.

For standard 1×1 ribbing you will commonly be working with an even number of stitches, although odd stitch counts can also be accommodated depending on the pattern and edge stitches.

7. Secure The Final Stitch

The final stitch needs to be secured because these freshly cast-on stitches are considerably more mobile than a conventional cast on.

Follow the finishing method used in your chosen Italian cast-on variation.

What Happens After The Cast On?

This is the important bit.

Check your pattern.

Some patterns begin normal ribbing almost immediately.

Others use tubular foundation rows in which you knit the knit stitches and slip the purl stitches with the yarn held in front.

You may also need to knit initially twisted knit stitches through the back loop to correct their orientation.

This is not a mistake.

Italian cast-on stitches can look slightly strange sitting on the needle before those first setup rows are complete.

Resist the urge to declare disaster too early.

After a few rows the edge begins to settle into that lovely rounded finish.

Should You Work The Italian Cast On In The Round?

You can use the Italian cast on for knitting in the round, but there is one beginner trap worth knowing about.

The cast-on edge is extremely flexible and can twist easily around a circular needle.

One very practical solution is to cast on and work the tubular setup rows flat first, then join your knitting in the round.

It is much easier to see that everything is facing the right direction before joining.

A twisted 100-stitch sweater neckline is the sort of mistake you only need to make once.

My Biggest Tip: Practise With Boring Yarn

This is not the moment to pull out black mohair.

Use smooth, light-coloured yarn with good stitch definition while you learn the movements.

A basic wool or wool-blend yarn works beautifully. If you’re stocking your knitting basket anyway, this is an easy technique to practise with an inexpensive smooth yarn from Mary Maxim, rather than using the beautiful hand-dyed skein you have been guarding for three years.

You also don’t need an entire project.

Cast on about 20 stitches and make a small ribbing sample.

Once your hands understand the movement, the technique becomes dramatically easier.

Keep Your Cast-On Stitches Loose

One of the most common Italian cast-on mistakes is pulling every stitch tightly against the needle.

The loops need enough room to move.

Aim for even rather than tight.

If you tend to cast on very tightly, experimenting with a slightly larger needle can help while you learn, although always follow the needle recommendations for a specific garment pattern when fit matters.

A smooth circular needle also makes practising much easier than fighting sticky yarn against a rough needle. This is one of those knitting techniques where decent needles really do reduce the frustration factor, so it’s also a natural place to use your favourite Amazon knitting needle recommendation.

Why Does My Italian Cast On Look Messy?

Because you have only just cast it on.

Seriously.

The first stage can look alarmingly loose.

Before ripping everything out, work the required setup rows and a few rows of 1×1 ribbing.

Then look at the edge.

It usually becomes considerably neater once the surrounding stitches have some structure.

Common Italian Cast-On Problems

My Stitches Keep Falling Apart

The cast-on stitches are not locked together in quite the same way as a conventional cast on.

Keep gentle tension on the yarn and make sure your final stitch is secured.

My Knit And Purl Stitches Are In The Wrong Order

This is probably the easiest mistake to make.

Stop every few stitches and look at the yarn structure rather than blindly continuing across 120 stitches.

Practising with two contrasting strands can also help you understand the movements before returning to a single colour.

My Edge Isn’t Stretchy

You may simply be casting on too tightly.

The Italian cast on should complement the stretch of the ribbing, not restrain it.

My First Row Looks Twisted

Depending on the version you use, your knit stitches may initially sit twisted on the needle.

The setup instructions may tell you to knit these stitches through the back loop to correct them.

Follow the method specified by your tutorial or pattern rather than automatically working every stitch normally.

My Circular Knitting Is Twisted

Work your foundation rows flat and join afterward.

It isn’t cheating.

It is sanity preservation.

Can You Use Italian Cast On For 2×2 Rib?

The straightforward Italian cast on naturally sets you up for 1×1 ribbing because you are alternating knit and purl stitches.

It is possible to adapt tubular techniques for 2×2 ribbing, usually by rearranging stitches after the cast-on or using a method specifically designed for 2×2 rib.

If you’re learning the technique for the first time, I would master 1×1 first.

There is no prize for making your knitting unnecessarily complicated.

Italian Cast On Or Long-Tail Cast On?

Both are worth knowing.

Use long-tail cast on when you want:

  • a reliable everyday cast on
  • a relatively firm edge
  • a fast familiar technique
  • an edge that doesn’t need extreme stretch

Try Italian cast on when you want:

  • very neat 1×1 ribbing
  • good elasticity
  • an almost invisible cast-on edge
  • a professional-looking hat, cuff or hem

There is nothing wrong with substituting a simpler stretchy cast on when a project allows it.

But visually, the Italian cast on really is rather lovely.

What About Fisherman’s Rib?

If you’ve been exploring stretchy knitting stitches, you might also have come across fisherman’s rib.

That produces a thick, squishy fabric and also benefits from having a suitably stretchy edge.

Our guide to how to knit fisherman’s rib explains how the stitch works and why choosing the right cast on and bind off matters with stretchy knitting.

The Italian cast on is most naturally paired with ordinary 1×1 rib, but learning how different cast-ons behave is one of those small knitting skills that makes a surprisingly big difference to finished projects.

Is The Italian Cast On Beginner Friendly?

I would call it confident-beginner friendly.

You don’t need advanced knitting skills.

You do need to be comfortable holding yarn and manipulating your needle while maintaining fairly even tension.

And you’ll probably need to watch the movement slowly a few times before your hands understand what your brain is asking them to do.

That is perfectly normal.

Practise 15 or 20 stitches.

Rip them out.

Do it again.

After a few attempts you’ll suddenly realise your hands have started doing the movement without quite so much supervision.

That is usually the point where a knitting technique moves from absolutely ridiculous to why didn’t I learn this years ago?

And once you see that beautifully rounded little row of 1×1 ribbing coming off your needles, I suspect the Italian cast on will earn a permanent place in your knitting toolbox.