On Edge(s)

My swell new book arrived:

I dove right in, excited to enhance my knowledge of knitted beginnings and endings.  Would you believe that I actually contributed to this book, and then forgot all about it?  It was almost three years ago, at Rhinebeck, when I launched my first book.  Across the aisle from my signing table were the lovely ladies of Green Mountain Spinnery, with whom I made friends.  Cap was there, and told me all about how she was making a book of cast ons and bind offs.  I offered her the best one I know, in case she hadn't heard of it.  And then I forgot all about it.  When I picked out this book, I had completely amnesia-ed our meeting.  But when the book arrived, Whoosh!  It all came back to me! 

Cap has done an outstanding job with this volume, and I'm not just saying so because she included my contribution.  The format is big and glossy, the binding (spiral) lies flat so you can actually work from it, and the photos and illustrations are sparkling-clear.  I promise, there are a lot of great new tricks in here, and a few old ones you might have forgotten about, too.  Get your copy HERE; you'll be glad you did.

And best of all, Cap came through with the very thing I was hoping for:  A way to cast on IN PATTERN!  That's right!  It's actually possible to work your cast on stitches one direction for knits, and another for purls.  I always suspected somebody must have figured out how to do this; I just had to wait until Cap wrote it down for me.  It's done with a version of the long-tail cast on (page 32, when you get your copy), and it really does work:

Here's the boring old "Cable Cast On" I settled for on the back of the sweater.

And here is the new and improved super-sexy "Cast On In Pattern" I used for the Right Front!

Yes, I know the difference is subtle, and anyone who would be able to tell the difference is probably way too close to the edge of my sweater.  But there's just something so satisfying about knowing you have really found the best possible tool for the job...Can I get a knitters' Amen for Cast-On smugness?  Yeah, baby.

Back's done.  Right Front's Done.  First sleeve's cast on.  Somebody stop me.