KNITTING cast on choices - website?

Question

There are so many different ways to cast-on. I want to know which cast-on is good for which project. The patterns I read never say which cast-on to use. I assume that each cast-on method has their pros/cons. Does anyone know of a good website that explains the pros/cons of each cast-on method and what stitch or project they are best suited for??

I already looked at knittinghelp.com but they didn't explain fully (although they are a fantastic website).

Answer 1

This one at About.com.

http://knitting.about.com/od/castingon/t...

Answer 2

Oh, boy, this is a good one.  The cast on you use depends on whether or not you need elasticity in that row.  The most elastic cast on, good for socks and mittens, kids things, is to knit on or cable cast on.  Long tail is somewhat elastic but tends to be more firm, but neat as well.  The least preferable cast on is the backwards e or over the thumb cast on where you wrap the yarn around your thumb and put the resulting loop on the needle.  The problem with this one is that it doesn't really knit a stitch and any looseness in the yarn, which occurs when you knit the first row as a result of this not really being stitches, so the loops close up, ends up as loops under the bottom of your piece.  This can be alleviated by casting on one extra stitch and when you get to the slip knot, with all the loopy yarn between it and the last stitch knit, just drop the slip knot.  However, this cast on is not at all elastic and tends to be too tight for most things.