kitty: Tvåändsstickning / Twined Knitting / Two End Knitting Three Thread Cast-on

In Anne-Maj Ling's book she talks about the fact that there are three typical Tvåändsstickning / Twined Knitting / Two End knitting cast-on's. One of them is pictured here on the Tvåändsstickning Swedish Two End Knitting site. Here is another one that creates the cute little contrasting line that you see on a lot of the traditional mittens. The thing that makes me really intrigued by this cast on is that everyone talks about the fact that it will not roll. That the three threads creates a sturdy cast on that won't suffer the unsightly roll if you don't have ribbing or garter stitch as your stabilizing edge. The third cast on I have yet to see any visual references on how to do it and I haven't figured it out yet.

The first step is to create a center pull ball of yarn that is wound so that you can use the center thread and the outer thread at the same time. You will also need to pick a third thread either in the same colour or to add a colour accent at the cast on.

Create a simple slip knot with the two ends of you main colour and a contrasting third colour thread. The slip stitch will be taken off after you finish casting on. (It is not your first stitch.)

The Third colour will be carried on the left side of the needle and used in a continental cast on, while the main threads will be carried on the right hand side of the needle and twined during the cast on.

With the gray thread, cast on one continental stitch onto the needle. (Or make a backward loop cast on stitch and hold it loose)

Hold that stitch rather loosely on the needle and

hold it steady so it doesn't slip off with the left hand. Then with the right hand, take the thread on the right over the thread on the left.

Then wrap that yarn around the needle and pull the gray thread over the stitch and

tighten the slack of the two threads to form the stitch.

Cast on another continental stitch with the left hand and

while holding that stitch stable take the thread on the right over the thread on the left. These two threads have switched places from the previous stitch.

Make sure that you always take the thread over the bottom thread when you are going knit wise and under when you are going purl wise.

Make a loop over the needle

and pull the continental cast on stitch over the white thread,

Once it is over the main white thread tighten both threads to obtain a nice tight and easy cast on.

This is the front side of the cast on. You can easily see if you make a mistake because the gray line doesn't look like you have woven it between the white threads.

The back side of the cast on looks kind of like you have created a little braid.