Bridget's Faggotting Cast On

Bridget (Ravelry link) has taught this lace cast on to me several times, and this time, it stuck! It's brilliant....it's lacey, pretty, stretchy, and has enough "oomph" to hold the edge!  It isn't flipping up, as a garter edge can.

The way it was taught to me was:
Cast on 2 sts provisionally.
Yo, p2tog turn
Repeat this row ad infinitem.
When you have the number of loops required, minus 4, it's time to pick up sts. Counting the two sts on the needle, pick up a stitch through each loop along the side of the long skinny strip. Be careful you don't twist it! When you get to the end, you should have the number required, minus 2. Pick up the two provisional sts. Done and ready! It's elegant, isn't it? Well, this constant turning made me want to poke my own eyes out....so I knit back and forth as follows.

Co 2

Yo p2tog. Do not turn

yo k2tog tbl "lefty" style as follows: k2tog tbl by inserting the left needle into the backs of the sts on the right needle. Wrap clockwise, as usual. 

 Yo p2tog. Do not turn

Yo

 

P2tog

yo k2tog tbl "lefty" style

Wrap the yarn around the left needle

and k2tog tbl by inserting the left needle into the backs of the sts on the right needle. Wrap clockwise, as usual. 


 Repeat these two rows.

Picking up the stitches

Here I am just putting all the loops onto the right needle.  They are large enough it's easiest for me to put them all on the needle, then knit them off, as the last step in the cast on.  The cast on isn't complete until the loops all have working yarn stitches pulled through them.  In this photo, I picked up the sts with the leading leg behind the needle, because it was easier.   I knit them off for the cast on row through the back loop.  You can pick them up with the leading leg forward, and knit them standardly, if you prefer.   Just avoid twisting them!


And here is my lace in progress, shot on location, at Santa Monica Beach, waiting for my 17yr old son's arrival there, from a coast to coast bike ride.


And the Boy's arrival....happy, tired, and filthy, after 6 straight weeks of riding his bike 80-115 miles a day, with about 40 pounds of gear!


Yes, I'm very proud of him, and I was so worried during this trip!  But Overland Summers did a great job running the trip, as usual.