Today I want to talk about Cast-On Rags. I learned about them from a machine knitting book that described how to make them. I was a fairly new machine knitter then, & didn't really understand the instructions very well, but did get the general idea. I set out to make myself several of them.
I have recently watched several U Tube videos on how to make them. I make mine a little differently, based on the instructions from the MK book that I had, & my own inclinations.
1. Decide how wide you want the rag to be. Most of mine are 100 stitches. They can be as wide or as narrow as you want.
2. E-Wrap cast on as many stitches as you have chosen. Knit a few rows & add your weights.
3. Knit 30 rows & then knit a very loose row.
4. Knit another 30 rows & knit another very loose row. Do this 3-4 times.
5. When you have about 124 rows hang the e-wrap cast on & bind off. At this point you have a tube. Turn the tube inside out. You should have the purl stitches on the outside.
You will use the loose stitches to hang your rag on the machine. You can use all 100 stitches or less. You can also use 2 rags together.
I like to make my rags in 2 colors so that if I am working on a garment that is a similar color I can use the contrasting color. When they get dirty just throw them in the wash.
This is my cast on rag for my sock machine. I knit it on the mid gauge machine with a cuff to it, so I could hang it like a set up basket. The bottom of the cuff holds the weights.
