Uploaded August 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this Brooklyn Tweed knitting tutorial we teach you to work a Two-Color Italian Tubular Cast On for 1x1 ribbing – a sturdy and stretchy cast on that creates a beautiful edge on your knitting with no need for waste yarn. This method works for flat or in-the-round knitting, and you can cast on an even or odd number of stitches.
Start with a circular needle 1-2 sizes smaller to cast on than you will be using to knit your ribbing.
1:00 Make a slip knot with MC and C1 held together, leaving an 8”/20 cm tail. Slip the slip knot onto the needle and hold in your R hand ready to knit. (Note: The slip knot will not be worked, and should not be included in your stitch count.)
1:26 With your index finger and thumb of your L hand extended to create an “L”, position the working MC (pink) and C1 (pale blue) yarns in your L hand, with the working yarns held against your palm and with the MC yarn draped over your index finger and the C1 yarn draped over your thumb in a diamond shape. Secure the tails from the slip knot by holding them against the needle with your R hand.
3:20 Step 1: Create a Knit Stitch with MC: Wrap the C1 yarn over the needle by moving the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your thumb and over the C1 yarn, then back to the center of the diamond under the C1 yarn.
Step 1a: Move the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your index finger and over the MC yarn, then back to the center of the diamond under the MC yarn.
Step 1b: The C1 yarn is crossed over the MC yarn across the top of the needle. Swing the needle toward you under both yarns to unwrap the C1 yarn, keeping the MC loop on the needle and maintaining an even tension ready to cast on a new stitch.
4:00 Step 2: Create a Purl Stitch with C1: Wrap the MC yarn over the needle by moving the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your index finger and under the MC yarn, then back to the center of the diamond.
Step 2a: Move the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your thumb and over the C1 yarn, then back to the center of the diamond under the C1 yarn. The MC yarn is crossed over the C1 yarn across the top of the needle.
Step 2b: The MC yarn is crossed over the C1 yarn across the top of the needle. Swing the needle toward you under both yarns to unwrap the MC yarn, keeping the C1 loop on the needle and maintaining an even tension ready to cast on a new stitch.
5:27 Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until the desired number of stitches have been cast on, ending with a backwards loop cast on to secure your cast on row.
8:24 Your stitches are now ready to work in 1x1 or brioche rib! (Note: Jared says here that the pale blue stitches are purls and the pink stitches are knits - the stitches are actually facing the camera the other way around here since the work has been turned.)
To work the tubular rows:
(Note: In this video we are knitting the first and last stitch of each row as a selvedge stitch.)
9:48 Row 1: With your C1 yarn (pale blue), knit 1 (selvedge stitch). (Knit 1, slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front) across. Knit 1 (selvedge stitch). Note that on this first row, your knit stitches will be mounted backwards on the needle, so you'll need to knit into the back loop to untwist them. (Don’t knit the slip knot, just let it fall off your needle. You can pull it out after you’ve worked a few rows.)
11:41 Row 2: Slide your stitches to the other end of your circular needle so that you can work with your MC yarn (pink). Knit 1 (selvedge stitch). (Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl 1) across. Knit 1 (selvedge stitch).
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If you found this tutorial helpful, we’d love your support!
At Brooklyn Tweed we are passionate about wool, knitting and design. We craft our patterns with a commitment to timeless quality, publishing size-inclusive, stylish designs for all shapes, identities, and skill levels.
Contemporary design, superior craftsmanship, and clear instructions give knitters the opportunity to elevate their skills and explore the intersection of crafting traditions with current style and new techniques.
Our extensive library of educational resources and skill-building tutorials give crafters the tools to succeed and the confidence to make their projects their own.
Learn more at: @BrooklynTweed_Official
Visit us at: brooklyntweed.com
In this Brooklyn Tweed knitting tutorial we teach you to work a Two-Color Italian Tubular Cast On for 1x1 ribbing – a sturdy and stretchy cast on that creates a beautiful edge on your knitting with no need for waste yarn. This method works for flat or in-the-round knitting, and you can cast on an even or odd number of stitches.
Start with a circular needle 1-2 sizes smaller to cast on than you will be using to knit your ribbing.
1:00 Make a slip knot with MC and C1 held together, leaving an 8”/20 cm tail. Slip the slip knot onto the needle and hold in your R hand ready to knit. (Note: The slip knot will not be worked, and should not be included in your stitch count.)
1:26 With your index finger and thumb of your L hand extended to create an “L”, position the working MC (pink) and C1 (pale blue) yarns in your L hand, with the working yarns held against your palm and with the MC yarn draped over your index finger and the C1 yarn draped over your thumb in a diamond shape. Secure the tails from the slip knot by holding them against the needle with your R hand.
3:20 Step 1: Create a Knit Stitch with MC: Wrap the C1 yarn over the needle by moving the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your thumb and over the C1 yarn, then back to the center of the diamond under the C1 yarn.
Step 1a: Move the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your index finger and over the MC yarn, then back to the center of the diamond under the MC yarn.
Step 1b: The C1 yarn is crossed over the MC yarn across the top of the needle. Swing the needle toward you under both yarns to unwrap the C1 yarn, keeping the MC loop on the needle and maintaining an even tension ready to cast on a new stitch.
4:00 Step 2: Create a Purl Stitch with C1: Wrap the MC yarn over the needle by moving the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your index finger and under the MC yarn, then back to the center of the diamond.
Step 2a: Move the needle tip outside of the diamond toward your thumb and over the C1 yarn, then back to the center of the diamond under the C1 yarn. The MC yarn is crossed over the C1 yarn across the top of the needle.
Step 2b: The MC yarn is crossed over the C1 yarn across the top of the needle. Swing the needle toward you under both yarns to unwrap the MC yarn, keeping the C1 loop on the needle and maintaining an even tension ready to cast on a new stitch.
5:27 Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until the desired number of stitches have been cast on, ending with a backwards loop cast on to secure your cast on row.
8:24 Your stitches are now ready to work in 1x1 or brioche rib! (Note: Jared says here that the pale blue stitches are purls and the pink stitches are knits - the stitches are actually facing the camera the other way around here since the work has been turned.)
To work the tubular rows:
(Note: In this video we are knitting the first and last stitch of each row as a selvedge stitch.)
9:48 Row 1: With your C1 yarn (pale blue), knit 1 (selvedge stitch). (Knit 1, slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front) across. Knit 1 (selvedge stitch). Note that on this first row, your knit stitches will be mounted backwards on the needle, so you'll need to knit into the back loop to untwist them. (Don’t knit the slip knot, just let it fall off your needle. You can pull it out after you’ve worked a few rows.)
11:41 Row 2: Slide your stitches to the other end of your circular needle so that you can work with your MC yarn (pink). Knit 1 (selvedge stitch). (Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl 1) across. Knit 1 (selvedge stitch).
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If you found this tutorial helpful, we’d love your support!
At Brooklyn Tweed we are passionate about wool, knitting and design. We craft our patterns with a commitment to timeless quality, publishing size-inclusive, stylish designs for all shapes, identities, and skill levels.
Contemporary design, superior craftsmanship, and clear instructions give knitters the opportunity to elevate their skills and explore the intersection of crafting traditions with current style and new techniques.
Our extensive library of educational resources and skill-building tutorials give crafters the tools to succeed and the confidence to make their projects their own.
Learn more at: @BrooklynTweed_Official
Visit us at: brooklyntweed.com
