Ski Cast-on Method

The Ski cast-on method is an easy way to gather the the end of your work in a similar fashion to the gather bind-off technique making it perfect for use with a ball. It was developed for an odd number of pegs but can be slightly modified to use on any loom.

Tools needed

Round loom
Knitting tool

Before casting-on, review the good loom knitting habits. It's important not to wrap tightly.

Odd # of pegs

Even # of pegs

Video

Tie a slip knot leaving a 3-inch tail and place it on the anchor peg.
Take the working yarn in your right hand and wrap it behind the odd number pegs and in front of the even number pegs. You will weave in and out of the pegs making it look like this around the loom:
```
\/\/\/\/\
```
Wrap a second time around the loom. This will wrap on the opposite side of the pegs so the wrap will look like this:
```
/\/\/\/\/
```
With your working yarn held in your right hand, e-wrap each peg by wrapping each peg in a counterclockwise direction with the yarn crossing on the inside of the loom. Wrap each peg in this manner moving across the loom from right to left.
Each peg will now have two wraps on it. Knit off.
After knitting another row, untie the slip knot on the anchor peg.
After you have finished knitting all of the rows for your project and bound off, pull the tail tightly causing it to gather.
Tie off and weave the end into your project.

Some knitters recommend not doing the ski cast-on on a loom with an even number of pegs but you can do it. It just takes a little easy creative knitting.

Tie a slip knot leaving a 3-inch tail and place it on the anchor peg.
Take the working yarn in your right hand and wrap it behind the odd number pegs and in front of the even number pegs. You will weave in and out of the pegs making it look like this around the loom:
```
\/\/\/\/\/
```
When you wrap the last peg and bring the yarn to the front and wrap the last and first pegs on the front.
Wrap the rest of the pegs weaving back and forth. When you finish, each peg will have one wrap.
With your working yarn held in your right hand, e-wrap each peg by wrapping each peg in a counterclockwise direction with the yarn crossing on the inside of the loom. Wrap each peg in this manner moving across the loom from right to left.
Each peg will now have two wraps on it. Knit off.
After knitting another row, untie the slip knot on the anchor peg.
After you have finished knitting all of the rows for your project and bound off, pull the tail tightly causing it to gather.
Tie off and weave the end into your project.

Coming soon!