Winding Provisional Cast On

a photo tutorial from the NEW Ziggurat Book

(see also: buttonband tutorial from the First Ziggurat Book)

N1: working circular
N2: holder circular for provision stitches 

1. Place a slip-knot on N2. Hold both needles together with  N1 on top.

2. Wind yarn around both needles.
Wind towards yourself, from below the needles, up behind, down front). 
Continue to wind to desired number of stitches.
End by catching N2 and hold yarn to back.

3. Hold yarn in place , pull the tip of N2 free to let provisional loops rest on N2 cable.

4. Knit (or work according to pattern) the loops on N1 as you would knit normal stitches (the first stitch may be a little uncooperative).

4a. This first row locks the stitches in place:
N1: working stitches
N2: live or provisional  stitches to be worked later in the opposite direction
pink arrow: slipknot on N2 (leave in place for now – remove before working the provisional stitches)

WHEN IT'S TIME TO WORK THE PROVISIONAL STITCHES
• discard the slipknot

• plain stocking stitch: simply knit the provisional stitches. 

• stitch patterns: you might want to jiggle your stitches a little to make them line up nicely with the pattern. This may require a k2tog or an ssk in one place and perhaps an increase in another.

• buttonbands: decrease from 8 sts to 7 sts – make a judgement where best to place the decrease and whether to k2tog or ssk.

adding stitches for a Ziggurat buttonband (see buttonband tutorial)

Set up the buttonband right after you have picked up stitches for Left Front (usually Step 4). 

If you are making a contrasting buttonband, make a slipknot and proceed as above.
If your buttonband is the same colour as your cardigan, proceed as follows.

1. Place N2 below N1.
There is no need for a slipknot; use the working yarn, going up behind both needles, over and down front towards you.

2. Wind on 8 stitches and proceed as described above, steps 2–4.
 note: work your stitches in buttonband stitch pattern also for the very first row as follows:

The first RS row of the left buttonband locks in the stitches.
RS: ksk, k1, ksk, p1.
WS: (k1, sl1wyf) x 4.
These are the 2 rows for Ziggurat (left) buttonbands