Returning to knitting and already going wrong!

[KanyesVest]

It's years since I've knit anything, but I have cast on beautifully (I've always been good at casting on ). Unfortunately, when I do my first row, I'm doing a very simple stockingette scarf, the cast on row has gone all lose and loopy. I'm not sure where I'm going wrong. I have a vague recollection of a first row trick mum taught me, but my expert knitter sister is away so I can't ask her!

[KanyesVest]

Hmm, unfortunately it didn't on my last piece, but it didn't matter as I was stitching it up. Right, I'll Google alternative casting on and try the cable cast on. Thanks.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Sometimes helps to knit into the back of the stitch (You'll no doubt find demos on YouTube) for the first row.

[poppy2021]

I use the thumb method. Neatest imo

[JoffreyBaratheon]

The problem is probably not the cast on row, but the first row after.

That said, you need to have as many cast-ons as possible so you can use different ones, for different things. I find new ones in Vogue Knitting's 'The Ultimate Knitting Book'. Some - like say, German Twisted, incorporate more yarn into the cast on edge so are much more elastic than others. My most used ones are probably long tail cast on and Channel Islands (which gives a decorative row of bead like bumps).

For many years I only knew the cable cast on and did just fine!

Many old knitting manuals and 1930s/40s' patterns, advise you knit into the back of each stitch on the first row, and this is probably to tighten things up.

Keep flexible re cast ons though and think of your finished product and which would work best, for it.

[KanyesVest]

Thanks all, I think knitting into the back of the stitch may be what my mum taught me. I'm casting on the way she taught me, don't know what it's called, but just like knitting a stitch just leaving the yarn on. I will try some new casting on methods and knitting into the back of the stitch and see what works.

[LatteLady]

I think you might be happier with a cable cast on, which is similar to what you are describing but gives a tighter and neater result. Check it out on YouTube. as that is easier to understand than me describing it.

[tribpot]

Btw a stockinette scarf is going to curl unless you do a border on the sides. A few stitches in garter should help to stabilise it, although I like the .

It sounds as if maybe your cast on isn't tight enough? Normally people have the opposite problem. You could try doing your cast on using smaller needles and then switching up for the first row.

[KanyesVest]

That might be the problem, Tribpot, I'm a very tight knitter so I've been trying to loosen it a bit.

Good job I've a million yards of wool to practice all these new techniques on