New Tricks for an Old Dog

I have been knitting for a long time. I have a few preferred methods for casting on and binding off that have worked well for me over the years. For casting on, I generally use long-tail cast-on for “regular” knitting with the occasional cable cast-on or knitted cast-on; Emily Ocker’s cast-on for circular knitting; and a provisional cast-on with a crochet hook. For casting off, I use the traditional bind-off, Icelandic bind-off, or crocheted cast-off for doilies and some shawls.

My repertoire just expanded with two new books: Cast On, Bind Off: 54 Step-by-Step Methods by Leslie Ann Bestor and Cast On, Bind Off: 211 Ways to Begin and End Your Knitting by Cap Sease.

I like both books. Yes, there is some duplication between them, but both are handy reference books. Both have clear text, illustrations, and photos, and both offer applications for each cast-on and bind-off. Each book gives the inquiring knitter lots of fodder for experimenting and thinking.

And I will finally learn the Channel Island cast-on.

The attentive reader may note that I use “cast on” and “cast off” for the verb and “cast-on” and “cast-off” for the noun. That’s what happens after a career as a copy editor.