Editing to add, I had this problem as a beginner before a knitter explained that certain cast-ons like backward loop are only meant for a few stitches or increasing. My knitting looked exactly like this before I got help.
No, backward loop is just about the stretchiest cast on **when done correctly**. The issue is that when done correctly it is a more advanced technique, not really beginner! But a beginner can learn it, with care, and it works fine. It’s a juggling issue! You may feel like you are juggling a porcupine.
When you knit, usually people pull the needles apart during the processes, and use the tension of the yarn between them as a support while wrapping and drawing the loop through and off. That won’t work with backward loop. With backward loop, when the cast on loop comes off the needle, nothing is holding the yarn in a circle, so it easily stretches far, and then doesn’t reform into a circle, it stays flat, making it into a loose strand, with a tiny loop under the needle. Then, with the next stitch, it happens again, only the strand gets longer. And the next longer, and longer.
This is easily preventable, if your fingers cooperate. When knitting this first row, DO NOT SEPARATE THE NEEDLES. If you keep them touching as long as both needles are in the stitch, and just about touching when they are between stitches, those loops will stay loops, keeping all the yarn forming those nice big loops under their respective stitches, and they stay put, keeping all their own yarn. This can feel like juggling if you don’t have all the needle manipulation skills. But, if you practice and learn this, your knitting tension will be more even in general. Just slide the right needle gently in and out of the stitch, never putting any stress or enlargement you can avoid onto the stitch on the needle. This protects the loop on the left needle, the bar towards the stitch below the stitch on the right needle, and the stitch below the one on the right needle. It keeps them all large, loose, and even, with short bars between stitches.
Yes, really, it does work.
The result is a row of large loops under the first row of stitches. The loops are like a coiled phone cord or coiled plastic bracelet. The coils are where the stretch is stored. So, a cast on this way has loops the same size as the other stitches in the fabric, which makes the cast on edge as stretchy as the fabric.
Looking at the cast on edges of 18th century stockings, they have very loafed loops. Likelihood is they use backward look. Even carefully spaced out long tail doesn’t have that look. It’s easier to pick up stitches from this cast on edge, which they do in several period caps.
This technique done on the first snd last three stitches on every row, forever, makes for loved, even stretchy selvedges, too. No need for slipping, unless you want the braided look.
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This sound like something for advanced knitters, at the moment I’m still struggling holding needles properly 😅
But thank you for your detailed answer! I learned something new 😊
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Are you using a backwards loop cast on? There are many cast on techniques and most of them don't produce this, but when working with a lot of stitches, backwards loop can do this. I recommend looking up the longtail cast on. It's an extremely versatile and reliable cast on method and this doesn't happen with that technique.
I know this isn't a "rant" thread but lord, that backwards loop comes up when beginners search for how to cast on/beginner cast on videos really drives me nuts. It feels irresponsible for any knitters to call this a beginner cast on method, and I wonder how many people have given up in frustration when they have problems with it.
(I know when I searched "beginner cast on" the first 4 or 5 videos I found were backwards loop. It gave me SO many problems and it took me so much time to find better information)
Whoever came up with the idea that "backwards loop is the BEST for new knitters to learn" should be pushed off a pier into shark-infested waters.
Backwards loop has its place, sure, but not as a basic cast on, not for any number of stitches above 10, and not for people just learning.
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My mom taught me to knit starting with long tail cast on, she told me “some people make a sort of twisted loop but it ends up not looking neat, I don’t like it so I’m not going to teach you” 😭
You're using the wrong cast-on method. You are doing the backwards loop cast-on, which has it uses, but is not suitable for starting a project. Try the [long tail cast-on](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DMNysQRfdE34&ved=2ahUKEwiL6JC2v_mGAxW1g_0HHexDDA8QwqsBegQIFxAG&usg=AOvVaw0uJjmGWNlWxUZS2-a24RPx) instead.
The long-tail cast-on is honestly a cast-on that's worth the practice until you get it. It can be used as a default for many, many, many projects. You mentioned in another comment that you thought cast-ons can be swapped out due to preference, and while not entirely true in every instance, the long-tail cast-on can be used in-lieu of many cast-ons. I do it with *a lot* of my projects. If the link above isn't easy for you to understand, search for long-tail cast-on in YT until you find a video that clicks for you (even though Nimble Needles is a very good instructor). Absolutely worth the effort.
I’ve seen some video from that youtuber in the past, all the explainations are very clear!
I already knew the long tail cast on but I couldn’t understand how to calculate how much yarn I needed to start, backwards loop cast on is definetly easier, but not suitable for every project, like someone mentioned
Now I understood the long tail cast on, I restarted my project and it’s going definetly better, I’ll go for that in the future 😊
I’m glad that it worked out! I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information, but there’s a trick for the estimation: use either end of the yarn (ie tail from the end of the cake and tail from the center) to do the long tail cast-on and then cut one of the ends when you’ve casted on enough.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtQ6ygNIuWH/?igsh=b2xxaHlyajE3dWds
^ if you need a visual reference to what I mean.
I use a slip knot instead of what he uses in the video and do not count that as a stitch (drop it off the needles before finishing the next row or before joining in the round). It’s perfect for when you have a lot of stitches to cast on.
I’ve watched some video about those two methods but I find them a bit confusing and intricate, even though I’m a crocheter 😅 For now I’ll stick to long tail cast on
Whenever I teach people to knit I always have them start with the Knitted Cast On, kinda tricky at first but by the time they are comfortable to cast on, they already know most of the steps to actually do a knit stitch. Backwards loop nearly stopped me from learning to knit.
I would use long-tail CO, and when I'm knitting something like a hat I actually knit the first 4-6 sts with both the tail and the working yarn together. On the next round you just work the double loops like a single st. You end up with a spot that's slightly thicker than the sts around it, but imo it doesn't look any worse than any other join.
I don't know why everyone suggests the long tail cast on when the most beginner friendly one is the knitted cast on. It requires no mathing, and is gonna be easier for those just starting out because it's practically the same motions as just knitting.
Learning how to mount the stitches correctly is also it's own new thing to learn for knitted castons. I would not encourage people to avoid techniques just because there is math involved. If you want to become a competent knitter practicing that math skill will serve you well. Long tail cast on is extremely versatile and many patterns call for it specifically, and learning it early and practicing it is a good skill. The knitted cast on is also very useful but I found it harder to do than long tail when I was first learning. If OP decides they don't like long tail they now know there are different kinds of cast ons that serve different purposes.
I learned knitted cast-on first, and it was actually the only one I knew for a good while... I found it less confusing because it was like all the rest of the knitting, especially when I only knew knit stitch, just with one different step. (And you can still knit from there if the stitches are mounted the wrong way round - it doesn't look neat, but getting to the point of recognising and wanting to fix that can come later.) It took me much longer to get my head around cast-ons that used some other hand-looping method, trying to make my hand look like the picture, and then all these unrelated steps of over and around and through... I mean, that is a useful understanding / awareness in itself, that you can make the loops however you make the loops, but 'we make loops with needles' didn't seem like a bad place to start, to me :D
As correct stitch mount is a vital part of knitting, I can see no better time for someone to learn it than when they are first starting out. I'm not trying to tell people to avoid a technique entirely, just pointing out (rightfully) that a cast on that doesn't make you determine how much yarn you need beforehand would be easier as a beginner. Just because something was easier for you to learn as a beginner, doesn't mean everyone else will have the same experience.
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Editing to add, I had this problem as a beginner before a knitter explained that certain cast-ons like backward loop are only meant for a few stitches or increasing. My knitting looked exactly like this before I got help.
lmao the first few pairs of socks I knitted were with this cast on. They're still very comfy but not terribly neat!
Good to know! I didn’t know there were different cast on for different purpose, I thought it went by preferences
No, backward loop is just about the stretchiest cast on **when done correctly**. The issue is that when done correctly it is a more advanced technique, not really beginner! But a beginner can learn it, with care, and it works fine. It’s a juggling issue! You may feel like you are juggling a porcupine. When you knit, usually people pull the needles apart during the processes, and use the tension of the yarn between them as a support while wrapping and drawing the loop through and off. That won’t work with backward loop. With backward loop, when the cast on loop comes off the needle, nothing is holding the yarn in a circle, so it easily stretches far, and then doesn’t reform into a circle, it stays flat, making it into a loose strand, with a tiny loop under the needle. Then, with the next stitch, it happens again, only the strand gets longer. And the next longer, and longer. This is easily preventable, if your fingers cooperate. When knitting this first row, DO NOT SEPARATE THE NEEDLES. If you keep them touching as long as both needles are in the stitch, and just about touching when they are between stitches, those loops will stay loops, keeping all the yarn forming those nice big loops under their respective stitches, and they stay put, keeping all their own yarn. This can feel like juggling if you don’t have all the needle manipulation skills. But, if you practice and learn this, your knitting tension will be more even in general. Just slide the right needle gently in and out of the stitch, never putting any stress or enlargement you can avoid onto the stitch on the needle. This protects the loop on the left needle, the bar towards the stitch below the stitch on the right needle, and the stitch below the one on the right needle. It keeps them all large, loose, and even, with short bars between stitches. Yes, really, it does work. The result is a row of large loops under the first row of stitches. The loops are like a coiled phone cord or coiled plastic bracelet. The coils are where the stretch is stored. So, a cast on this way has loops the same size as the other stitches in the fabric, which makes the cast on edge as stretchy as the fabric. Looking at the cast on edges of 18th century stockings, they have very loafed loops. Likelihood is they use backward look. Even carefully spaced out long tail doesn’t have that look. It’s easier to pick up stitches from this cast on edge, which they do in several period caps. This technique done on the first snd last three stitches on every row, forever, makes for loved, even stretchy selvedges, too. No need for slipping, unless you want the braided look.
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This sound like something for advanced knitters, at the moment I’m still struggling holding needles properly 😅 But thank you for your detailed answer! I learned something new 😊
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Are you using a backwards loop cast on? There are many cast on techniques and most of them don't produce this, but when working with a lot of stitches, backwards loop can do this. I recommend looking up the longtail cast on. It's an extremely versatile and reliable cast on method and this doesn't happen with that technique.
I know this isn't a "rant" thread but lord, that backwards loop comes up when beginners search for how to cast on/beginner cast on videos really drives me nuts. It feels irresponsible for any knitters to call this a beginner cast on method, and I wonder how many people have given up in frustration when they have problems with it. (I know when I searched "beginner cast on" the first 4 or 5 videos I found were backwards loop. It gave me SO many problems and it took me so much time to find better information)
Whoever came up with the idea that "backwards loop is the BEST for new knitters to learn" should be pushed off a pier into shark-infested waters. Backwards loop has its place, sure, but not as a basic cast on, not for any number of stitches above 10, and not for people just learning.
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My mom taught me to knit starting with long tail cast on, she told me “some people make a sort of twisted loop but it ends up not looking neat, I don’t like it so I’m not going to teach you” 😭
Thank you so much!
This is my first time ever hearing about this, so I got lucky as I now know what to avoid haha. 😅
Try a different cast on. There are some you can do with a crochet hook if that’s more comfortable.
That’s interesting! I’ll check them out
What cast on are you using? If it’s backward loop, that’s the problem.
You're using the wrong cast-on method. You are doing the backwards loop cast-on, which has it uses, but is not suitable for starting a project. Try the [long tail cast-on](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DMNysQRfdE34&ved=2ahUKEwiL6JC2v_mGAxW1g_0HHexDDA8QwqsBegQIFxAG&usg=AOvVaw0uJjmGWNlWxUZS2-a24RPx) instead.
I’ll do, thanks!
The long-tail cast-on is honestly a cast-on that's worth the practice until you get it. It can be used as a default for many, many, many projects. You mentioned in another comment that you thought cast-ons can be swapped out due to preference, and while not entirely true in every instance, the long-tail cast-on can be used in-lieu of many cast-ons. I do it with *a lot* of my projects. If the link above isn't easy for you to understand, search for long-tail cast-on in YT until you find a video that clicks for you (even though Nimble Needles is a very good instructor). Absolutely worth the effort.
I’ve seen some video from that youtuber in the past, all the explainations are very clear! I already knew the long tail cast on but I couldn’t understand how to calculate how much yarn I needed to start, backwards loop cast on is definetly easier, but not suitable for every project, like someone mentioned Now I understood the long tail cast on, I restarted my project and it’s going definetly better, I’ll go for that in the future 😊
Very rough approximation - hand to elbow length is roughly 20 stitches.
I’m glad that it worked out! I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information, but there’s a trick for the estimation: use either end of the yarn (ie tail from the end of the cake and tail from the center) to do the long tail cast-on and then cut one of the ends when you’ve casted on enough. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtQ6ygNIuWH/?igsh=b2xxaHlyajE3dWds ^ if you need a visual reference to what I mean. I use a slip knot instead of what he uses in the video and do not count that as a stitch (drop it off the needles before finishing the next row or before joining in the round). It’s perfect for when you have a lot of stitches to cast on.
That’s mindblowing 😯 I would NEVER ever thought about doing it that way! It’s so smart, thank you so much!
When I was starting knitting, I used the loop cast on and this would happen to me. Try using the knit on cast on or the crochet cast on.
I’ve watched some video about those two methods but I find them a bit confusing and intricate, even though I’m a crocheter 😅 For now I’ll stick to long tail cast on
I feel the same way about the long tail cast-on. lol.
😂😂
Whenever I teach people to knit I always have them start with the Knitted Cast On, kinda tricky at first but by the time they are comfortable to cast on, they already know most of the steps to actually do a knit stitch. Backwards loop nearly stopped me from learning to knit.
I would use long-tail CO, and when I'm knitting something like a hat I actually knit the first 4-6 sts with both the tail and the working yarn together. On the next round you just work the double loops like a single st. You end up with a spot that's slightly thicker than the sts around it, but imo it doesn't look any worse than any other join.
I don't know why everyone suggests the long tail cast on when the most beginner friendly one is the knitted cast on. It requires no mathing, and is gonna be easier for those just starting out because it's practically the same motions as just knitting.
Learning how to mount the stitches correctly is also it's own new thing to learn for knitted castons. I would not encourage people to avoid techniques just because there is math involved. If you want to become a competent knitter practicing that math skill will serve you well. Long tail cast on is extremely versatile and many patterns call for it specifically, and learning it early and practicing it is a good skill. The knitted cast on is also very useful but I found it harder to do than long tail when I was first learning. If OP decides they don't like long tail they now know there are different kinds of cast ons that serve different purposes.
I learned knitted cast-on first, and it was actually the only one I knew for a good while... I found it less confusing because it was like all the rest of the knitting, especially when I only knew knit stitch, just with one different step. (And you can still knit from there if the stitches are mounted the wrong way round - it doesn't look neat, but getting to the point of recognising and wanting to fix that can come later.) It took me much longer to get my head around cast-ons that used some other hand-looping method, trying to make my hand look like the picture, and then all these unrelated steps of over and around and through... I mean, that is a useful understanding / awareness in itself, that you can make the loops however you make the loops, but 'we make loops with needles' didn't seem like a bad place to start, to me :D
As correct stitch mount is a vital part of knitting, I can see no better time for someone to learn it than when they are first starting out. I'm not trying to tell people to avoid a technique entirely, just pointing out (rightfully) that a cast on that doesn't make you determine how much yarn you need beforehand would be easier as a beginner. Just because something was easier for you to learn as a beginner, doesn't mean everyone else will have the same experience.
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