Tips and Tricks for Devious Knitters: I-Cord Cast On

I know a lot of cast-ons, and they all have different advantages: Some are very firm, some are very stretchy, and some look fancy.

The I-cord cast on has the advantage of looking very finished. It adds the look of a rolled hem without the unpredictability of a true rolled hem (some rolls I’ve known don’t know when to stop rolling!). I love using it on cowls. Where ribbing or other edging might want to flip, the I-cord cast on stays nicely put.

I used it in my latest pattern, the Glenborough cowl, where I think it does its thing to great effect. (You can purchase Glenborough on Ravelry and Payhip, if the look of it appeals to you.)

But to the point of the post… an I-cord cast-on is a nice way to start a cowl, shawl, or even a sweater. Anywhere you’ve got a visible edge that you’d like to be rounded and neat, you can try this cast-on and finish with its partner, the I-cord bind off.

I made a little video, because I think this is one of those things that’s easier to understand when you see it demonstrated.

I have a few other small video tutorials on my YouTube channel. If you’d like to see more of this sort of thing from me, I’d love it if you’ll hit the “subscribe” button on there. The more subscribers I have there, the more features YouTube unlocks for me as a maker.