They say this method was demonstrated by a Chinese waitress to a knitter who happened to dine in a Beijing restaurant where that waitress was working. Whether it is true or not, the name stuck and now we know this technique as Chinese Waitress Cast On.
If the story is true, we should be grateful to that waitress for sharing this method with all of us, because it is a great way to form a beautiful fully reversible edge that looks like two chains of stitches placed side by side.
Since it was first described in the “Cast On, Bind Off” book by Cap Sease, this method was improved and simplified. We don’t need to untwist the chain after we cast on each stitch, and we use a crochet hook and a knitting needle to make the process of casting on stitches much easier.
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The size of the chains formed at the bottom of the edge is determined by the size of the crochet hook that we use.
If you are after a loose stretchy edge, take a hook that is in the same size (in millimetres) as the size of the knitting needles that you plan to use to make your project.
If you need an edge with a moderate stretch, use a hook that is one or two sizes smaller than the needles. For a tight less elastic cast on, use a hook that is considerably smaller than the needles.
To make my little swatch I’ll use knitting needles in size 10 mm (US size 15) and an 8 mm (US size L11 ) crochet hook.
Now, that we’ve got our tools ready, let’s see how this cast on method works step by step.
SETUP
Make a slip knot and place it on a knitting needle. Hold this needle and the yarn tail in your left hand and let the working yarn hang down.
This slip knot is temporary and it does not count as a stitch. We need it to anchor the yarn before we start to cast on stitches, and we’ll unravel it at the end of the first row.
Take a crochet hook in your right hand so that the “nose” of the hook is facing you. Place the hook at the back of the knitting needle so that the needle and the hook form an X. Make sure the working yarn is not in front of the hook.
STEP 1
Pinch the crochet hook with your left thumb and index fingers to hold the hook in its position. With your right hand (that is now free), take the working yarn.
You can also work this method with the yarn in your left hand, but you will need to pass the needle and the hook from hand to hand several times. This considerably complicates and slows down the process. That’s why I recommend holding yarn in the right hand no matter whether you use English or Continental knitting style.
Move the working yarn from the back of the crochet hook, over the tip of the knitting needle and into the spot that is between the head of the hook and the tip of the needle.
STEP 2
While holding the yarn in the wrapped position, take the crochet hook in your right hand and move it down so that the “nose” of the hook catches the top strand of the yarn wrap and pulls it through the other strand of the yarn wrap.
Now we have one new stitch on the knitting needle, and one stitch on the crochet hook.
STEP 3
Move the crochet hook to the back of the knitting needle.
Repeat steps 1 – 3 to cast on more stitches.
When you work step 2 again, pull the top strand of the yarn wrap through the other strand of the yarn wrap and through the stitch that is sitting on the crochet hook.
I chose this variation of the Chinese Waitress cast on method because I like the fact that we can clearly see both strands of the yarn wrap and the stitch sitting on the crochet hook as we form each new stitch.
If, for some reason, this approach is not comfortable to you, try another variation of this method. It produces exactly the same results, but the yarn is wrapped around the needle and the hook in a slightly different way.
ANOTHER VARIATION
STEP 1
Just as we did when we followed instructions for the first variation of this method, cross the knitting needle and the crochet hook so that the hook is at the back of the needle and the working yarn is not caught up between the needle and the hook.
Pinch the hook with your left thumb and index fingers and take the working yarn in your right hand.
Now comes the part that is different from the first variation.
Move the yarn from the back of the crochet hook, over the knitting needle, and into a spot that is between the head of the hook and the body of the needle.
STEP 2
Twist the crochet hook so that its “nose” turns to the left, and move the hook down to pull the strand that sits between the head of the hook and the body of the needle through the other strand.
When you work this step to cast on more stitches, you will pull the strand that sits between the head of the hook and the body of the needle through the stitch on the crochet hook.
STEP 3
This step is the same for both variations – we move the crochet hook to the back of the knitting needle.
No matter which variation you choose to use, repeat steps 1 – 3 until your knitting needle holds the number of stitches that you need minus one stitch.
Remember not to count the slip knot. It is a temporary stitch that we’ll unravel at the end of the first row.
For example, to cast on 8 stitches for my swatch, I stop when I have 7 stitches (+ the temporary slip knot) on my knitting needle and 1 stitch on my crochet hook.
FINISHING
Pinch the crochet hook with your left thumb and index fingers, take the working yarn in your right hand and move the yarn to the front of the crochet hook.
Move the crochet hook down, pulling the yarn wrap through the stitch sitting on the hook.
Insert the tip of the knitting needle from right to left into the stitch on the crochet hook.
Move the crochet hook out leaving the stitch on the knitting needle. Pull the working yarn to adjust the size of the last stitch.
In the first row of your project, work according to the pattern instructions until you get to the slip knot at the very end of the row.
Take the left needle out of the slip knot and pull the yarn tail to unravel the knot.
Now the number of stitches on your needles is the number you need to work on your project.
HERE’S A VIDEO TUTORIAL THAT SHOWS EVERY STEP
If you work in the round, the slip knot will be the first stitch of the first round. Slip the knot off the left needle, pull the yarn tail to unravel the knot and work the first round of your project according to the pattern instructions.
Once you work a few rows or rounds, you will see that the edge formed by this method looks like two neat chains of stitches leading in the opposite directions.
Thanks to those chains of stitches, the edge is identical on both sides of the fabric, making this cast on method perfect for scarves, shawls, blankets and other reversible projects. It also doesn’t hurt that this edge looks nice next to most stitch patterns – a great method to add to our knitting skill set.
Huge thanks to Laurie L. Day for introducing me to this amazing way to cast on stitches!
SAVE IT FOR LATER
This and 31 other in-depth tutorials are part of Knitting Collection #8.
