Happy Friday dear T.H.R.I.V.E. Association family! We have had multiple questions from many of our wonderful volunteers regarding which cast ons to use for their projects. Specifically, we have been asked which cast on is best for our favorite Camouflage Brioche Scarf that we showcased in Part 2 of our Question and Answers post. That post can be found here: https://thrivevets.org/index.php/2021/04/30/questions-and-answers-part-2-the-camouflage-brioche-scarf/
Although you can use a long tail cast on for any rib project, it breaks the pattern and most rib patterns tend to have a bit of stretch to them. The long tail cast on is not a particularly stretchy cast on. Although the brioche stitch is a false rib, the long tail cast on, in our humble estimation does not stretch with the brioche stitch and also causes a bit of puckering at the edge.
The long tail cast on is definitely a favorite in any knitter’s arsenal due to its amazing stability. So, what is the best cast on to use for a brioche stitch project? Due to the fact that the brioche stitch is a 1×1 rib, the best cast on to use for a project like this is the Italian cast on. The Italian cast on is a twisted cast on that is wonderfully stretchy. In addition, this cast on creates an edge that looks like it is a continuation of the pattern that the brioche stitch creates. In other words, it looks invisible.
Please stay tuned as we will be giving a brief demonstration of this cast on in the near future!