Every knitted project begins with a cast on, the process of placing the first row of loops on the needle. The long-tail cast on is popular because it produces an elastic, tidy edge using two strands of yarn. The knit cast on is built from knit stitches and is simple but tends to be tight. The cable cast on is worked between stitches and creates a corded edge suitable for decorative trims. Crochet projects begin with a slip knot followed by a chain of stitches to form the foundation row.
At the end of a project, stitches are secured with a bind off, sometimes called casting off. The standard bind off works two stitches, then passes the first over the second, repeating across the row. For ribbing or lace, a stretchy bind off preserves the fabric's elasticity; popular options include the Russian bind off and Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. Crochet projects are typically finished with a row of slip stitches or a tailored edging worked into the final row.
Before beginning a sized garment, knitters swatch to test gauge, the number of stitches and rows per inch. A typical swatch is 4x4 inches worked in the pattern stitch, then measured after blocking. Blocking, the process of wetting and shaping finished pieces, sets stitches and refines the fabric. Wet blocking involves soaking, gently squeezing, and pinning the work to shape until dry, while steam blocking applies steam without pressing and is particularly useful for synthetic fibers. For lace, blocking is essential because it opens up the holes and reveals the intended pattern. Garment construction follows several approaches. Top-down construction knits from the neck downward, allowing easy length adjustment, while bottom-up construction knits from the hem upward in the classic style. Seamless construction uses circular knitting or techniques like magic loop to eliminate sewing, whereas seamed construction knits pieces flat and joins them, often yielding crisp shape. Sleeve styles include the raglan with its diagonal seam from neck to underarm, the traditional set-in sleeve attached to a rounded armhole, and the simple drop shoulder with no shaping at all. Yokes are shaped or circular panels covering the shoulders of pullovers and cardigans.