# Provisional cast on knitting...no crochet hook



## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

so I'm going crazy...between what I spend on yarn...bunny food...the spinning wheel I haven't sorted quite yet...the 5 children and 5 dogs (number 6 is in Alaska growing up and bgetting super socialized before it comes home) and the wool I have waiting to be spun...and my dad coming to visit in the summer...I haven't been able to find a provisional cast on tutorial that doesn't require me to be a ninja. 

So what I'm looking for...provisional cast on...no ninja stuff...made for someone who takes a dozen times of viewing and doing before things click...if you have a tutorial or a link...that would be great...I'm hoping to make my mum a house coat/sweater that requires a lot of cableing but is zomg beautiful....and it's one of the techniques in the chosen piece that I'm just not wrapping my brain around...

on an unrelated note also in search of pullover sweater patterns that are fairly manly with the cabling...first sweater anyone has ever made my dad and if its lame he'll still wear it...but he's 6'2" tall with a 56" chest and is probably in better shape than I am in his 60's. I know its the thought that counts and he'll appreciate it no matter what...but that doesn't mean I can't long for beautiful cabling and masculinity too


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## amberley (Jul 21, 2014)

This is the easiest I have found. I simply get my yarn, fingers and needles in a complete tangle with some of the others!
http://knitnellknit.blogspot.com.br/2012/04/wrapped-provisional-cast-on-tutorial.html


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

TY...that's much much clearer


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Just curious -- what is the difference between provisional cast on and regular? I use the long tail method with just my fingers and a knitting needle for regular cast on.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A provisional cast on is meant to come off. This is handy if you want to knit from a center and go out with a cast off on each end. I use it for the underarm cast on for my sweaters.

I think the easiest is this:
With contrasting yarn, cast on by the loop method (wrap around your thumb) the number of stitches you want. Cut yarn. With good yarn, knit across the cast on stitches, this is your first row (or cast on row). When you are ready to go back and remove the cast on row, insert your needle into the first real stitch and pull out the contrasting yarn. Go across like this. You will be one stitch short, so you'll need to make an increase to make up for it.


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## CinnamonHarvest (Apr 7, 2016)

Maura said:


> A provisional cast on is meant to come off. This is handy if you want to knit from a center and go out with a cast off on each end. I use it for the underarm cast on for my sweaters.


Yes the housecoat I'm making for my mum has a collar with some beautiful Celtic elements in it...and you start in the center so you do one side of it, starting with the provisional...and then you do the other side of it, starting from the center to finish that bit...


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