How to knit the Chinese Waitress cast on James Cox Knits

Chinese Waitress Cast On

You don't have to go to China to learn how to do the Chinese Waitress Cast On. All the benefits can be yours by simply following the steps below. Create a double chain of cast on stitches that are extremely elastic, and don't skew to the front or back of your work. So, you can start your first row as the right or wrong side. Now, pour a cup of green tea and try this beautiful cast on.

  1. Make a slip not with a tail long enough to grasp and hold with the left needle. Holding the working yarn in your right hand, place the right needle below and perpendicular to the left, positioned against the right side of the slip knot (towards the point of the left needle). This is the starting position for each stitch.
  1. Bring the yarn forward over the top of the left needle from the front to the back, then wrap it all the way around the right needle as if to knit (under, around and over).
  1. Pull the yarn wrapped around the right needle between the 2 stitches that are now on the left needle.
  1. Continue to pull the yarn forward to create an elongated loop.
  1. Remove the right needle. The loop will be twisted to the right. Untwist it, turning the loop counterclockwise.
  1. Reinsert the right needle downward into the loop and under the left needle, returning to the starting position.
  1. Adjust the elongated loop so that it is just loose enough to work the next stitch.
  1. Again: Bring the yarn forward over the top of the left needle from the front to the back, then wrap it around the right needle as if to knit.
  1. Now pull the yarn wrapped around the right needle between the first 2 stitches that are now on the left needle. As you do this rotate the work away a bit so that you can easily pull the loop on the tip of the right needle forward through the stitch of yarn also on the right needle.
  1. Repeat steps 4-9 until you have the desired number of stitches minus one. Do not count the slip knot.
  1. Place final loop on the right needle onto the left needle, making sure it is not twisted. When working the first row of stitches, drop the slip knot at the end of the row.
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