How To
Boost Your Knitting: Tubular Cast On in the Round
At this point, I’m pretty sure that Jen Arnall-Culliford could cook up a video tutorial on how to land a 747, and we’d all be right there with her. “Wing flaps down! GOT IT!”
It’s a new month, and a new episode of knitting cleverness from Boost Your Knitting: Another Year of Techniques.
Grab your knitting, settle in, and watch Jen lead us through one of the most elegant moments in all knitting: the tubular cast on in the round. See the full video tutorial up top.
With the tubular cast on, you’re creating a stockinette edge (“stocking stitch” in the UK) that curls from front to back in a way that seems totally impossible.
Tubular cast on is one of those techniques that is unfamiliar to a lot of knitters.
It’s a magical combination of stretchy but not floppy—a firm, sturdy edge, perfect for ribbing.
And there’s a moment of high drama when you get to do this:
This Month’s Design, from Sarah Hatton
Sarah Hatton is a master of texture and shape, and her Totally Tubular Mittens give you a cool project for getting the hang of tubular cast on.
These mittens are an excellent aid to carrying one’s tiny succulents around town.
How to Get in on Boost Your Knitting
Jen and Jim Arnall-Culliford have developed a way of learning new knitting skills that combines great designers, useful techniques, and beautiful yarns.
Boost Your Knitting features a new project and a new technique each month, for the coming year. When you join Boost Your Knitting, digital patterns are delivered, month by month, to your Ravelry library. You can read all the details about signing up for the Boost Your Knitting book and yarn kits right here.
We are thrilled to feature each month’s project and video tutorial here on MDK—the videos are worth watching no matter what. But we hope you’ll sign up for the full Boost Your Knitting series, because we think you’ll really enjoy it.
And the conversation in the Arnall-Culliford Knitwear group on Ravelry is never ending and full of help.
Totally agree on the 747……..
Love this new technique for tubular cast on will be my go to edge for mittens and maybe even sweaters
Oh thanks! I finally understand what the TCO is. It’s like you’ve created a little hem.
This is absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing this method.
I think my life has been changed. Brilliant! I have attempted this before, even watched videos. But somehow this one made perfect sense! Thank you Jen!
So much easier to understand visually, especially when done by Jen. Written out it is horrible. Still, I am not sure if I have the patience required. Maybe a teeny tiny toy project… Using fat yarn. Thank you so much!
Genius! Thank you!
Brilliant! I like the polished finish and stretchy edge.
Yes, brilliant! I too have tried a couple of times with no success, gave up, and this is the first time I can do it! I’m going to frog a just-begun small cowl and reknit with this tubular cast on. Thank you Jen! And yes to the 747 landing tutorial (just so I could say I know how!).
I’ve never tried this method, it looks interesting. I’ll use it next time I do a bottom up sweater. One thought I had – it looks like getting that knit stitch up can be a little tight and fiddly. I wonder if it’s worth doing the last waste yarn row and the first working yarn row on one size bigger needles? Or am I overthinking (as usual)?
Heck, I think she could show us how dock a vehicle at the International Space Station.
Brilliant!
I can knit but I always mess up on shaping arm etc would love to learn to do better an learn how to do those lovely mittens
That was… amazing. Absolutely clear, easy to follow, well photographed, with minimal excess chatter (none really)… I have no need for a tubular cast on and I don’t care… I’m finding some thing to cast on tonight and I’m doing tubular. I’m sure I could use a couple pair of mitts for next winter.
Hurrah for learning! Thank you MDK and Jenn Arnall-Culliford! Consider me boosted!
Ohhhhh, NOW I get it! Thanks, Jen!
Does this mean that the tubular bind-off is next? A girl can dream…
Revelation (and angels singing)!
Poof–MIND BLOWN. (This is why knitting is awesome)
WOW, who knew, thank you for sharing this…will try it on my hat!!
Ann, your first sentence made me literally laugh out loud. I love a good lede. And then I turned around and learned something, so that happened.
Really love this technique, it’s simple and works beautifully. I would love to know how to convert to a 2×2 rib version…
The video on tubular cast on for the mittens is ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT! Thank you. It is the first time I have heard anyone actually explain what TUBULAR cast on means!!