Cast On for Intarsia Baby Blanket

by Pat
(Colorado)

What kind of cast on should I use to cast on an intarsia pattern, where it calls for 25 cast on stitches of one color, 25 of another color, etc, until 300 stitches are cast on.

This is for a baby blanket.

YOUR ANSWER

Hi Pat,

I have never done this myself so my answer to your question is based more on what I would do rather than what I have done!

I tend to use the cable method of casting on no matter what I am making as the edge is much firmer than the edge you get if you use the thumb method.

Now for your question, this is what I would do. Taking the first colour, I would cast on the required number of stitches and then leave the yarn at the back of the needle. With the second colour, make a slip knot for the first stitch and then cast on the required number of stitches (total for that colour minus one). Continue like this until you have the total number of stitches.

At this point you would have 12 sections on your left hand needle. Where you have one section abutting another you can tie a knot between the trailing yarn and the cast on tail if you want to
make sure the join is secure.

When you are knitting your first row, you need to make sure that you cross the two yarns as you change colour so that the fabric -'knits' together without any gaps.

To do that lift the tail of yarn you have been using up and over the tail of the next section, grab the new tail from under the old tail and knit the first stitch (goes under and over so that the two tails are twisted).