KNITTING TIP #1

problem:

when knitting in the round, almost every beginning knitter has experienced the frustration of a gap or "ladder" that forms between the first stitch and the last stitch of the cast-on row. it seems that no matter how tightly you snug up the working yarn between those two stitches, there's an annoying and unsightly little space where the first couple of rows join.

sure-fire fix:

1. make one more cast-on stitch than specified by the pattern
   
2. when arranging the cast-on stitches for working (whether on double points, circulars or for magic loop), transfer that extra stitch to the left-hand (sometimes referred to as the first) needle
3. begin the first round by knitting the transferred stitch and the first cast-on stitch together

wahla! no more gap!