Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now. If the first stitch of the pair is a purl stitch you go through it purlwise. Make sure your stitches are on 2 needles and wrong sides are facing each other. of the front row, and the wrong side of the back row is facing you behind it. You now have two stitches on your right-hand needle. Then one by one move the knit stitches to your front needle and the purl stitches to your back needle, as before. After working the first stitch of the pair youll always drop the stitch. March 20, 3:15pm CST. Repeat from * until one stitch remains on each of the two working needles. Bring the yarn through the next st on the front needle as if to purl and leave the stitch on the needle. Put the tapestry needle through the next stitch on the back needle knitwise and leave it on the needle. FRONT NEEDLE: Feed the tapestry needle purlwise through the second stitch. Finish by passing yarn through last stitch on front needle as if to knit and drop it. Repeat across. For more tips, including how to graft a stockinette stitch, read on! *Slide the sts back to the right side of the DPN. Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macram. dont have a tail for some reason). If you write it on cardboard, you could even find a more permanent home in your project bag for future patterns. Hours: Noon-5 Sun; 10-5 Tue-Sat (503) 236-7318, Find us in the Ford building on SE Division at SE 1oth. Note: If you prefer to view a list of my video lessons by category click here. For invisible horizontal seaming. Acquire tons of intermediate skills while keeping a canine pal of any size snuggly warm. If the first one is a knit stitch and the second one is a purl stitch youll go through both stitches knitwise. Put the needle down through the first stitch on the lower piece and bring it up through the next stitch. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Plus, tips for binding off in the round. Back needle: Feed tapestry needle through knitwise. Noro Insert the tapestry needle up into the blue stitch from underneath, as if you were pulling the final tail through the last stitch in ordinary chain bind off per the default method. Draw the yarn in between the first two stitches from back to front. A tubular bind-off creates a neat edge for 1 1 (k1, p1) ribbing. Congratulations to the Fiber Rhythm Craft & Design shop, 1st prize Norman R2nd prize Paige S3rd prize Susan H4th prize Jonathan Y5th prize Julie W. To obtain a nice stretchy bind off for K1, P1 circular ribbed items such as the tops of sock cuffs, we use a modified Kitchener bind off. Seamless Dog Sweater Video Knitting Class, Grafting Knitting, Myth 2: Grafted Ribbing Will Always Have a Half-Stitch Jog, Complete Video Guide to Seaming Your Knitting With Kitchener Stitch. Insert the tapestry needle purl wise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle. reflective yarn Step 4: Purl rear, leave the stitch on. THE FOLLOWING STEPS WILL BE REPEATED FOR EACH STITCH UNTIL ONLY ONE STITCH REMAINS ON EACH NEEDLE: * Go through first stitch on front needle as if to knit and through next stitch on front needle as if to purl. The Kitchener stitch is used for instance to: You first work two stitches from the front needle, two stitches from the back needle, two stitches from the front needle and so on as long as you have worked all the stitches. BACK NEEDLE: Feed the tapestry needle purlwise through the first stitch. You can find all published articles here. Step 2: Then go underneath the V of a knit stitch on the body. They are available on Etsy. Step 3. Imitating knit stitches means starting out inserting knitwise. Advanced Knitting, Seaming Bind-Offs. probably. I-cord: CO 3 stitches onto DPN. If the stitch pair you are going to work next are two knit stitches, you go through the second stitch purlwise because the stitches of the pair are the same type. Continue with Recommended Cookies. My name is Norman and I am the face behind the scenes of this knitting blog. http://knitfreedom.com/blog/last-stitch-roundIf this video saved you some stress feel free to support my channel and buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/knitfreedomTo get a perfectly neat circle when you're done binding off your round project, you'll need to do a little trick at the end. It's often used to close up the toes of socks, for shoulder seams, or the tops of mittens, but can be used any time you need to seam two sets of live stitches together. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Knit Bits. Italian Bind-off on k1, p1 ribbing. I once had a discussion with a knitting instructor at Stitches West who insisted the set-up is required, but I find it works fine without it. FRONT NEEDLE: Feed the tapestry needle knitwise through the first stitch. Cut your yarn to 3x the width of the stitches to be bound off, plus 6 inches for weaving in. Stiney August 23, 2016, 6:41am #3. Yay!! Weaving in the Ends. Thanks Kathy for taking your time and leaving a comment! Kitchener Stitch. Continue in this manner, letting the yarn trail loosely across the back. Required fields are marked *. Similar to the Kitchener stitch seam, this technique seamlessly connects stitches from the right and wrong side of the fabric.The result is a clean, rolled looking edge with a professional finish. Step 3: Go underneath the V of a knit stitch on the piece you want to attach. 2. Thanks for taking your time to leave such a nice comment. aka Grafting aka Weaving. Sirdar Step 2: Knit these two stitches together through back loop ( k2tog tbl) Step 3: purl 1 stitch. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Bring the last stitches of the back needle of the back tube up to the back of the first stitches of the front tube. Up means purl-wise. Your choice! Invisible!Related videos: How To Neaten the Last Stitch Of Your Bind-Off on FLAT Knitting:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqIJHPW56aAThis Trick Is Part Of The Upcoming KnitFreedom Video Guide of Bind-Offs, called **I Love Bind-Offs**Coming on March 1st 2014! bag My tutorial will show this bind-off being worked in the round, and more particularly, on the top of a toe-up sock made from my Fingering Weight TATU Sock Pattern. Step 1: Knit the first two stitches of the row. Kitchener stitch is less bulky than the three-needle bind off. 1 st rem on R needle.2. Using the Invisible Join. Entdecke Strickdetails beginnen zu enden: Ein Handbuch mit einfachen Tricks, kreative Lsung. The best stretchy CO I know of is the German Twisted CO. It's a simple and effective approach to keep the stitches from unraveling. Remove the stitch. Organizing knitting Go through the second stitch purlwise and leave it on the needle. there shouldnt be a ridge and it should be invisible from both sides. Really anything with yarn! Thanks so much for showing your tips! You can cut them at the end so that the swatch . Machine Kniting By using our site, you agree to our. Leave stitch on. Your email address will not be published. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Pass Slipped Stitch Over (PSSO) 12 years ago. Step 2. It's up to you, really. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The shoulder straps can be joined by kitchener stitching, 3-needle bind-off or sewing bound off stitches together. A little trickier to work at first but the edge is simple and pretty. Orient your knitting so that the needle tips face to the right. Find the 1st bound-off stitch.7. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all stitches have been worked off. When you are ready to bind off, cut the loops of your provisional cast-on. Repeat until three stitches have been casted on. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. The provisional cast-on needle should be in the back. 1a: After binding off the last stitch (blue) thread the tail (yellow) onto a blunt tipped, large-eyed sewing needle ("tapesty needle"). This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This cardigan has a sweet boho look and will definitely help . There are no setup stitches for Kitchener stitch on 1x1 rib. A variation of Kitchener Stitch, this tubular bind-off is a quick and simple way to achieve an elastic and elegant finish for cuffs, necklines, and more. Your email address will not be published. stash If you like the look of it, you can certainly toy around with a different color, but usually, most knitters graft the knit stitches using the working yarn. Ripple Ridge Lace Texture Design. Slide all stitches to the right as before. Do not remove stitch. Or, you use a stretchier bind-off for the 22 rib (click on the link for the full tutorial with video & pictures). This technique is used for instance to close the toe of a sock or sometimes if you have to cut your knitting to fix a mistake you can then seam the pieces together with the Kitchener stitch and the knit looks like it has never been cut. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Knitting the stitches when binding off on the right side of a Stockinette stitch piece, and purling the stitches when binding off on . To do an invisible join, start by casting on 1 more stitch after you finish casting on the required stitches for your project. For more tips, including how to graft a stockinette stitch, read on! Youve got a full week left to finish up your Funkasonic patterns. Your email address will not be published. ida thanks for this. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Pick Up and Knit. Cast on 1 extra stitch. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. touching in the middle.) Start by cutting the attached yarn to a length about 3 times the circumference of the item to be bound off. This is what I could write: Once you are finished grafting the two pieces together and depending on how tight you pulled after each step, the result may et look a bit wonky. For example, if the live stitches are about 5 inches wide on the needle when spread out comfortably, then get used to, to get the rhythm of it down, but once you do, I think youll love it like I do! for weaving in later. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Our class + knitalong give you extra support. Make a very beautiful and stretchy bind-off edge (the technique is called the tubular bind-off) . Super-Stretchy Bind Off. Accidental Increases. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Checkout from my Youtube channel a step by step guide for following these rules and drop a comment below if you think these rules helped you to memorize the Kitchener stitch. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. You start with two rows of live My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs. Ive never tried that way so hard to say how it looks but in theory yes if you pick up the stitches from the side seams. (You'll be working stitches in pairs.) 5. Remove stitch. My mission is to provide you with in-depth tutorials and free patterns. These instructions will not work for top-to-top seaming, for instance, where you would fold the working edge of your work and seam it together. The needle's path is up-down on the upper piece, and down-up on the lower piece. Repeat these steps until all the stitches are joined. 4. Similarly, you imagine that next to the first stitch on the back needle was a purl stitch you already worked and you go through the first stitch on the back needle knitwise. The technique is named after Horatio Herbert Kitchener, who is I believe, the field marshal responsible for asking the ladies in UK to make socks without seams for the soldiers in the trenches in first world war, to try and combat trench foot. Holy cow, were nearly there! Can I graft into an already knitted area? . After you work the six rows of 1 x 1 ribbing; gather the sock, still on two needles; a spare needle (close to the same size), a tapestry needle and scissors. These instructions show how to seamlessly join 1x1 rib top-to-bottom, that is, when you join provisional cast-on stitches to the edge to be bound off. 7. 84 10.7K. Bamboo Fiber You can remember the setup round by imagining that next to the first stitch on the front needle was a knit stitch you already worked knitwise and dropped so you go the first stitch . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Thread onto a tapestry needle. Insert needle from left to right through purl st (next stitch on the needle). Round 2: K across all stitches (N1-N4) Repeats rounds 1 and 2 above until only 7 (8,9) stitches remain on each needle (total 28 (32,36) stitches). Step 1: Align the two pieces you want to join. If the stitches are the same the directions are different. Knit that first twisted-loop cast-on stitch (Figure 6) to complete the cast-on process and set up the edge continuity. Here is a detailed video of the bind off from Knitting Blooms: These four steps are repeated again and again to create a Kitchener stitched seam. Drop the first stitch. Slow Motion Knitted Cast-On. I strongly believe that knitting patterns & tutorials should be available to everyone - no matter their income. Im Ida a 30 something engineer living in Lapland, Finland. stormy sky bag I love that you show exactly where the needle should go and that you used a different color yarn. Repeat steps 2-3 to last st. P last st. If you find it difficult to keep the strands loose just let them tighten up. . Insert the darning needle on the first stitch of the right-hand side as if to purl and draw the yarn through. 9 years ago. Teaching Double knitting is worked along the folding edges to ensure that they remain in place. Finally understand and follow any brioche pattern. Step 2. This article has been viewed 211,630 times. . For a technical explanation of why this works (and how to graft 1x1 ribbing top-to-top) I recommend Joni Coniglio's Interweave article Grafting Knitting, Myth 2: Grafted Ribbing Will Always Have a Half-Stitch Jog. Insert the tapestry needle knit wise into the first stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, dropping the stitch from the needle. The first stitch is always slipped, and the second stitch is always kept on the needle for now. Place a marker into the first stitch on the front needle of the working stitches and into the first stitch on the back needle of the provisional stitches. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Remove the stitch. You're done! than you think is good. Acquire tons of intermediate skills while keeping a canine pal of any size snuggly warm. And don't forget to check out my Etsy shop with all my knitting patterns. Kitchener in the round is worked as for regular Kitchener stitch. Cut the tail yarn to leave 4x the circumference of the tube to be seamed. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. No seam, no line, no evidence that it wasnt Row Repeat: Knit up this lace texture in an 8-row repeat. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These swatches each have a tail, but your knitting probably just has one tailit may be coming off the front This is an intermediate bind-off for ribbing that is super stretchy. Put the tapestry needle through the next stitch on the back needle knitwise and leave it on the needle. As promised, I am posting a tutorial on the Kitchener Stitch Bind-Off which I learned from THE KNITTERS BOOK OF FINISHING TECHNIQUES by Nancie M. Wiseman [Martingale & Co, 2002]. The top is knit in the round to the arm openings, then divided for the front and back which are knitted flat on circular needles. Leave stitch on. Slide the remaining half of stitches (in front) to the right needle tip as if to be knit (also shown below). Step 3: Knit the next two stitches together through the back loop. Front needle: Feed tapestry needle through knitwise. Start by bringing your yarn needle through the front first stitch purl-wise, as pictured above, Insert tapestry needle into second stitch as if to knit and draw the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the knitting needle (Photo 8). TY. We are working to fix ASAP! [3] 2. These first two steps are setup steps. Take On Any Brioche Project with Confidence. Zig zag. grafting ends. Start a new row and knit two stitches loosely to cast off knitting. Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off. The tubular bind off is a neat way to finish 1x1, or k1 p1, ribbing. -Ida. Manage Settings (Which is actually just working the second half of a pair before you begin.) Afghan Step 2 Front needle. Knit the first two stitches. I am making a top down hoodie sweater that calls for using the kitchner stitch to close the hood. Take a few minutes to inspect your bind-off. Stitch Tutorial Index. Home / Blog / Knitting / How to Kitchener Stitch + An Easy Way to Remember. Repeat Steps 4-8 until all the stitches are bound off. In addition to stockinette, these rules apply for any knit and purl stitch combination such as 2 by 2 ribbing or seed stitch. If so, how? Im glad I was able to help! When you have one stitch left on each needle, work the following sequence: Finally, pull the yarn tight, cut it off to a short amount, and weave in yarn on the inside of the work. I could kick myself the knits finished with kitchener stitch are so elegant and professional looking! Insert the tapestry needle knit wise into the first stitch on the back needle and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle. This method works for Magic Loop as well as regular round knitting on circular needles. Find out more about me here. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. I-cord bind off: CO 3 sts, *k2, k2tog-tbl, (this is the last st of the cast on and the first st of the live sts) sl3 sts back to LH needle; rep from *. Use 3 needle bind-off if you want to make visible decorative seam. Bring the needle up through the first stitch on the upper piece and put it down through the next stitch. Weave in ends, soak and block if desired. Take On Any Brioche Project with Confidence. Poke the needle through and to the back. Insert the tapestry needle purl wise into the next stitch on the front needle and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle. This means that my income comes from advertisements. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Use ends to close any remaining gaps in the fabric. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. When viewed from front or back, knit stitches are facing you. You can find it here. I would recommend you writing the instructions on a little piece of paper and keep it in front of you. Thread the yarn tail onto a seaming needle. Brioche is easier than you think! Your email address will not be published. Finally this makes sense! My design philosophy is to make simple, useful, and beautiful things. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Back needle: Feed tapestry needle through knitwise. Maybe I will see you tonight at S&S to find out. I saved the link. step will begin the repeating steps. Bind off using Kitchener Stitch. (Wrong sides are Do not remove stitch. Repeat the steps until you have 1 stitch remaining on both of the needles and then drop both of the stitches. The Kitchener stitch is a common method for joining the toe end on socks. Perfect. KAL Then go through the first stitch on back needle as if to knit. view video. Love the bit about tidying up the stitches at the end. Remove stitch. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Videos. Heres a tutorial for Kitchener Stitch on the purl side and one that works for garter stitch seams. Knit these 3 sts. The mantra while doing it is "Knit, purl. Pull the needle through and snug up this stitch. Kitchener stitch in the round can be fiddly, especially if you are using Magic Loop. 4 years ago. Fiber Rhythm Craft and Design Insert needle through the next stitch on the front needle purl wise, draw the yarn through, and leave this stitch where it is. Mine are on a slightly smaller needle with a purple cable in the photo below. Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad. Setup round. The video can be found here: Tubular Cast-On In The Round . Cast this stitch onto the needle in your left hand so that it is right next to the last stitch you cast on. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Can I graft a cast on edge to live stitches? Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle.6. A how-to for doing a Kitchener Stitch or Sewn Bind-Off on one knitting needle instead of two. Gently slide needle out of sts. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. This is a stretchy bind-off with no flare. Cardigan Rep from * until your i-cord is the desired . Cut the working yarn long enough to go around the top of the sock plus about 24 inches. No matter if you want to finish the toes of socks or join a scarf into a loop, the Kitchener Stitch is what you are looking for. Brioche is easier than you think! tighter Bring the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit and slip the stitch off the needle. yarns Put the tail yarn on a tapestry needle. Learn more Have you ever worn a sweater, or worse yet, a pair of socks with a seam that rubs and irritates? The Weekend Headband is worked in the round in 1 x 1 rib and folded double. Bambu 7 Required fields are marked *. Hi there! Simply pick up the tapestry needle one more time, and go through each stitch (starting on the far right) and tighten it up by pulling on the loops. These stitches are better defined and easier to see than the cast on row and will result in a neater finish. knitting, crochet, latch hook & macram Using a simple knitting method called grafting or Kitchener Stitch, you can fix this problem and have seams that are invisible and comfortable. Slip the first (knit) stitch on one needle, and then behind this, slip the next (purl) stitch on the other needle. 10/17/15. . K sts will come forward, P sts go back. Go in under the 2 loops of the stitch and pull the yarn through.8. rows) on needles, held parallel, tips pointing in the same direction. When binding off Stockinette stitch, some people prefer to bind off from the wrong side but knit all the stitches. Kitchener stitch. What youre doing is actually 5. Sock knitters use the Kitchener stitch to close off the remaining stitches, thus making the toe. Avoiding it is probably one of the biggest reasons I started knitting toe-up socks in the first place. maybe now my finished socks will look better at the toe! . The idea is to meet the gauge of the rest of your project. Grafting (aka the Kitchener stitch) is a way to seamlessly join two sets of live stitches together. In my blog youll find tools (knitting calculators and interactive patterns) which will save you some trouble and do the knitting math for you. judy's magic cast on Work step 1 above. crochet In my opinion, it is an essential skill for every knitter since it can be used to create invisible seams. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 211,630 times. grafting) bind offmittens and socks before these projects? Weave in tail on the WS.11. Pass needle through top right side of the next purl stitch to the left as if to knit. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 4. This info is great. 4 years ago. Front needle: Feed tapestry needle through knitwise. Knit designer Heidi Gustad, the blogger behind HandsOccupied.com, shares how to bind off a knitting project using kitchener stitch, a.k.a. Using the kitchener stitch to finish cuff down mittens and socks is particularly excellent because the finished result isn't lumpy, which is great to avoid discomfort on sensitive fingers and toes that lumpy finishes can cause. Bind off all sts. I think Ill write a paragraph about the setup round to this post to make it a bit more helpful. For a step-by-step photo tutorial of Kitchener stitch, a downloadable cheat sheet, and lots of Kitchener stitch tips and tricks, see our Complete Video Guide to Seaming Your Knitting With Kitchener Stitch. Continue to work the Kitchener bind-off from * above. (Make sure to remember which marker is the beginning of the round and which one is the half-way point!) Do not remove stitch. Bring the yarn through the next stitch on the back needle as if to knit and leave the stitch on the needle. Transfer the stitches you just worked back to the right needle, slipping them as if to purl. In the book it says that it can only be used for knit one, purl one ribbing. Remove stitch. Step 1. Suzanne Bryan has made a great video about this topic. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have 2 stitches left, then . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We are experiencing a problem with the video player on our online classes. Note: I earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this article. Sock Summit Socks can be scary to tackle on your own. Kitchener Stitchis a technique for grafting live stitches together. The right side of my work looks okay, it is difficult to see the join, but on the wrong side you can see a tiny ridge across..perhaps I pulled the stitches too tight? Go through the first stitch knitwise and drop the stitch. Lori's twisty bind off. I usually only do the setup round if I graft flat. Laurel Now, hold the needles together like this, in your left hand, so youre looking at the right side What does the wrong side of a kitchener joined piece look like? First two stitches (preparation): Bring the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit and slip the stitch off the needle. In the example in the video, there are 6 loops on the provisional needle and 5 on the working needle. Conclusion . Back needle: Feed tapestry needle through purlwise. You will need to capture the tail of the working piece that will be loose and weave it into the side of your work, anchoring the last half-loop. Required fields are marked *. Jamieson Spindrift This article has been viewed 211,630 times. There are no setup stitches for Kitchener stitch on 1x1 rib. You can use the Kitchener stitch to bind off for instance the toe of a sock or the top of a hat or mitten. If the stitches are different the directions are the same. 3. Although it is possible to graft ribbing or purl stitches, it is most . Cut yarn at the top of the loop.4. It takes a few times to really You always have to keep it below your needles as you pull tight. The next Plus, tips for binding off in the . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Then bring the yarn needle through the back first stitch knit-wise, leaving the stitch on the 12 years ago. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Repeat the steps across the row: knit to the last I-cord stitch, join it and a project stitch with an ssk, and slip the I-cord stitches back to the right needle. entrelac bag This tutorial covers how to cast on for a 2x2 rib stitch but the pattern I used called for 1x1 rib stitch so once I got all my stitches on the crochet hook, I followed pattern instructions for the hat I was working on: March Hat by Meghan Babin. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Learn to follow a dog sweater pattern without worrying about seaming. QCC Afterthought Heel - Part 2. Drop the first stitch. 12 years ago. Do not remove stitch. Do you do the set-up stitch? Your work should look like the above image (ignore that peek of garter stitch on the left). Knitting The bound-off stitches appear to be a series of overlapping Vs that run horizontally along the edge of your work. Download the pattern and you can find . If Im closing the toe of a sock I usually skip the setup round because that way the end result is in my opinion much neater and there are no ears at the beginning. Thank you . in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! This, however, is no problem at all. I am making a beanie that needs to be made into a tube this way. Drop the knit stitch off your needle. Wrap the yarn and draw it through. Go through the second stitch knitwise and leave it on the needle. Cast on your ribbing using a provisional cast-on. You can avoid the ear by skipping the setup stitches and when you have two stitches remaining on your needles you drop them.