Stitches

When knitting, is there a method to casting on stitches that creates a clean edge?

I am knitting a sweater and the edges are a but loose. Just wondering if there was an alternative. Thanks! Ugh, I wish I had gone to knttinghelp.com before I made this sweater. Does anyone know of a way to tidy up the edge after the fact?

Public Comments

1. The long tail (sling shot) method of casting on and the cable or knitting on cast on both leave very nice, clean edges. Knitting on is the easier to learn, though. Make your slip knot and put it on the left needle, insert the right needle into the front of the stitch, from left to right, wrap a new stitch around it, pull it through, twist it a half turn clockwise and put it on the left needle without taking the right needle out, and wrap for the next stitch...
2. to make the edge look clean and not sloppy use the long tail method, you cast on and knit your first row. this is my number one method of casting on with all my projects. http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/cast-on its the first video
3. knittinghelp.com is an excellent site! There's everything you will need to do all your basic knitting. Yes, you can re-do the edge. What you can do is slowly, painfully take out the cast-on edge. This can be done, but it doesn't rip out as it would from the other edge. Just pull out the yarn stitch by stitch. You will have open loops left (the bottom of the first row). Put all those stitches on a needle and turn the piece upside down. Then bind-off, making sure it's not too tight. It's a lot of work, but does work. Otherwise.... you have to rip out and start over! (I never rip out -- my rule)