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September 07, 2005

Picot Cast On

Looking for a new edging?  Tired of rolled edges, ribbing, hems, and garter stitch?  Then nona's got an edging for you.  Today I was helping one of my knitting students with the Miss Dashwood hat.  This cute baby hat starts with a picot cast on, creating a nice decorative edging.  After consulting Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge I found the "Picot Point Chain Edging", which creates a similar bind off edging.


The Picot Cast On is shown at the bottom of the swatch and
the Picot Point Chain Edging at the top.

Interested in giving either of these techniques a try?  Read on...

As a prerequisite, both of the edging techniques use the Knit Cast On.

Knit Cast On

  • If just starting, create a slip knot and place it on the left needle.
  • Insert your right needle into the first loop on the left hand needle, as if to knit
  • Wrap the yarn as usual and draw the new loop through the old
  • Leaving the original, old loop on the left needle slip the new loop onto the left needle.

Picot Cast On

  • Using the Knit Cast On, cast on 5 stitches
  • Bind off 2 stitches
  • Slip the lone stitch on the right hand needle back to the left needle
  • Repeat these 3 steps until the required number of stitches have been cast on

Picot Point Chain Edging

  • Bind off 2 stitches
  • Slip the lone stitch on the right hand needle back to the left needle
  • Using the Knit Cast On, cast on 3 stitches
  • Bind off 5 stitches
  • Repeat the last 3 steps until all stitches have been bound off.

September 7, 2005 in Tips and Techniques | Permalink

Comments

Ooh, me likey the picot. Can't wait to try it :)

Posted by: Vicki | Sep 8, 2005 10:52:30 AM

Got to try that, thanks!

Posted by: Teri | Sep 8, 2005 11:49:39 AM

Isn't the picot fun?! I used the picot cast-off from the "Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques" for your socks, which I think is the same as Picot Point Chain Edging you've shown here. It's such a great cast-off cause it is nice and stretchy.

Posted by: Purly Whites | Sep 8, 2005 12:12:32 PM

Why oh why didn't I visit your blog in September. Would have loved to make a picot cast on for a project, but couldn't bother to make a picot chain and pick up stitches along it, as described in Mary Thomas' book of knitting patterns. Now I have a project without picots... *sigh*
Will be a more frequent visitor from now on!

Posted by: Liisa | Oct 2, 2005 11:26:29 AM

I've knitted a couple of pairs of fetching gloves from this season's knitty, though none of them have actually been true to the pattern.

I'm using the picot cast on and bind off techniques on my gloves I just decided. Thanks!

Posted by: Camille | Aug 18, 2006 5:26:10 AM

When I completed one picot cast on using[5 CO 2 BO] as I am left with 3 stitches on the needle. Then I understand I am to repeat this process until the desired number of stitches. So my question is if my desired number of sock stitches is an even number of 64 (64 stitches divided by 3 will not give me even picots) how do I handle the last stitch - assume it is just a plain knit cast on? Or am I doing something wrong when I do the picot cast on and am ending up with too many stitches on the needles.
Thanks for help....

Posted by: Carol | Jul 13, 2010 8:31:18 AM

Thank you! I didn't know they picked up on it until I saw your comment.

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