Aug 24, 20183 min read

TUTORIAL: Tubular Cast On for Mt. Auburn Cardigan

The Interweave Knits Fall 2018 features one of my favorite menswear designs: Mt.Auburn Cardigan.

It has everything I love in mens knits: the tweed yarn, cables and rich texture of Moss stitch. The bottom ribbing of this cardigan is started from Tubular Cast On and I decided to make this tutorial, explaining in details how it works.

This particular Tubular Cast On starts from Italian Provisional Cast On method, worked with waste yarn, but you can, in fact, work a few rows of regular Stockinette stitch with your waste yarn, ending with knit stitch row and go straight to Step 2. The end result will be the same, it's just easier to remove the waste yarn with Italian Cast On :)

If you decide work the Italian Provisional method, that's how I do it:

Step 1:

With waste yarn, leave the tail as long as you would do for your Long Tail Cast On and make a slip knot. Hold your yarn in left hand as if you are going to start the Long Tail Cast On.

Here is the explanation of what I do on video:

Take working needle around the outside of the upper strand of yarn, and under the bottom strand.
Take the needle under and over the bottom strand, and back to the top.
Come around the outside of the bottom strand, and through the middle gap.
Come over the top of the top strand.
Bring the needle back around and under the bottom strand, back to the position of Step 1 (2 stitches made).

In this manner work the needed number of stitches (if you just want to practice this method, cast on odd number of stitches; say, 15. Let's call it X.

Step 2:

Join the working yarn. Next row will be the Right Side row. Purl all stitches in it.

Step 3:

Next is the Wrong Side row and that's how we work it: *K1, insert left needle from front to back under strand between stitch just worked and next stitch on left needle, then purl the lifted strand; repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Now we have X*2–1 stitch. If we started with 15 stitches, now we have 15*2–1=29 stitches on needle, which will allow as to start and end our ribbing with knit stitch. And that's exactly what we need!

Step 4:

Next is the Right Side row, first of 2 Tubular rows: *Slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front, k1; repeat from * to last stitch, slip 1 last stitch.

Step 5:

Next is the Wrong Side row, second Tubular row: *K1, slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front; repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Step 6:

Now it's Right Side row and we start working on our regular k1, p1 rib as follows: K2, *p1, k1; repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

On the next, Wrong side row, we continue working on k1, p1 rib, working all stitches as they appear: P2, *k1, p1; repeat from * to last stitch, p1.

Repeat last 2 rows (Right Side and Wrong Side rows that form ribbing), until ribbing measures 2.5" from Cast On edge, ending with a Right Side row.

Step 7:

We can remove the waste yarn now or live it until the project is finished and remove it then. Just pull the waste yarn and see the nice and neat finished edge!