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table of contents » chapter 14 (of 29)

14: Casting Off (cont.)

By contrast, if the neck of a sweater is cast off too tightly, the resulting opening may be too small to fit over the head. This is a particular problem with children’s knitwear. Their necklines need to fit snugly, but their heads are quite big in proportion. After casting off the neck, try stretching it gently to judge the elasticity before you join the seam. If you find that the cast-off row is too tight, undo it and re-knit it more loosely, or use a larger needle to cast off. When casting off, don’t cut the thread until you have tested the edge to make sure it is right, because you will need more yarn to work a looser row. Remember to leave a long end to use for the seam when you do cut the thread.

Cast off rib knitting in the rib sequence to keep the edge neat and flexible [pic 9,10].


9:
A rib edge finished with a knit cast-off row.


10:
A cast-off edge using the rib sequence is more suitable.

Edges that will not be seamed must have enough stretch left when casting off so that the edge will not pull and distort the shape, but at the same time must not be so loose that the edge will wave or flute or show uneven, loose stitches. You have to judge how to cast off according to the way that row should work for the position on the garment.
  

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