Picking Up Stitches on a Cast On Edge

I had a productive visit to TNNA.  I picked up some products to review but I spent most of my time either thanking sponsors for providing yarn for the Yarn Tasting at the conference or lining up some additional yarn.  Boxes have been arriving all week.

Here is a photo of the new product tables as you enter the show floor.

STUDENT NEWS
Very few lessons have arrived which has given me lots of time to wind yarn balls.

TIP OF THE WEEK
I had a suggestion from Sue who suggested I discuss how to pick up stitches along a cast on edge. You would need to do this if you are picking up a neckband for a sweater knit top down or if you are picking up a border on a baby blanket to name just two examples.  The basic procedure is the same as for a bound off edge.  You pick up the stitch in the center of the stitch immediately below the cast on edge.  In this photograph, notice that the bound off edge is at the bottom.  The stitches will have been picked up are coming directly out of the stitches below.



The confusing think about this is that if you turn a piece of knitted fabric upside down what was the space between the two stitches is now the stitch.  What was the stitch is now the space between the stitches.  This really bothered me when I first started knitting.  For example, if I have 10 bound off stitches and I pick up stitches along that edge, I will pick up 10 stitches.  If I have 10 stitches in a cast on edge, and I pick up the stitches properly, I will only have 9 stitches.  (This is only an issue for flat knitting.)  In this photograph stitches are picked up on both edges.  The bind off edge is on top and there are 20 stitches.  On the cast on edge there are only 19.



For a neckband this isn't a big deal.  I've seen projects where you have to pick up a specific number of stitches on both the cast on and bind off edges.  You just have to fudge a bit.  Here is the video:  Picking up stitches on a cast on edge

CURRENT PROJECTS
I finished up the sample socks and mitts for kits to be sold at the conference.  There will be 75 kits produced and they will only be sold in San Diego.  There is enough yarn for both the mitts and socks. I knit the large size for the socks just to make sure.

I've turned in my proposals for the next issue but since the selection meeting isn't until the 23rd I will have some time to finish up preparing the yarn for the tasting and getting stuff ready for the classes I am teaching at the conference.