Triangle lace cast-on

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Sometimes I come up with ideas and then never get around to doing anything with them. I was reminded of one such idea recently. It makes a lacy edge, though I don’t think it would be a good cast-on to use for lace because it’s not very elastic or loose. The instructions as given will produce an odd number of stitches.

Aside from your yarn and your knitting needles, you probably also want a crochet hook the same size as your knitting needle (or maybe a bit larger).

Here we go!

Figure 1

Figure 1: Put a backwards loop (also known as a half hitch) on your needle.

Figure 2

Figure 2: Next, insert your crochet hook into the loop as if to knit.

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Figure 3

Figure 3: Pull a loop through. Now, in ordinary knitted-on cast on, you would put this stitch on the needle. instead…

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Figure 4

Figure 4: Pull another loop through. (Chain one, in crochet terms.)

Now put that stitch on the needle, leaving the hook in the stitch.

Pull a loop through and chain one. Put the new stitch on the needle, and repeat as desired, ending with putting a stitch on the needle.

Now what?

Knit the first stitch (don’t slip one). Now repeat the following two things to the end of the row: yarn over, knit one.

I now recommend working one plain row or round of stockinette before going on to anything fancier, but you may (as always when it comes to the needle arts) do as you wish, so long as it produces results you like and nobody gets hurt.

Edited 14 April 2025