Watch Cat Bordhi’s video for clarity on this technique!
Loops on Needle & Cable:
Note: The slip knot is counted as a cable loop.
Put a slip knot on long (40” or longer) circular needle. Move slip knot into center of cable and hold it in place with left hand; bring left needle around to end in front of the slip knot and hold with left hand. The right needle will just dangle.
Transfer needle, keeping slip knot in place on cable to the right hand and tension the yarn in the left hand. Hold left forefinger away from cable and needle. Hold left side of cable loop with left hand and with Right hand anchoring the slipknot, *bring left needle towards you, under the cable and to the right of tensioned yarn. Scoop yarn under the cable and bring needle back to its original position in front. Yarn over the needle. Repeat from * until you have the number of loops/stitches on the needle.
There will be an equal number of loops on the needle as there is on the cable and the action from * to the repeat puts 2 loops onto needle and 2 loops onto the cable. Only count the loops on the needles to get to the specified stitch count. If you follow the loops around there will end up being a half twist in the cables.
Loops Into Working Position:
Push loops around cables until needle points are in a position to work loops. Be careful to keep the loops from overlapping each other, and know that this first round may be a little tricky to work as stitches are continually moved carefully into working position.
Working First Round
Note: The first stitch is the slip knot. For tracking purposes it is nice to put a pin marker in the slip knot. This requires working stitches around the cables and needles until there is sufficient length away from the cast on to have less tension on the needles.
After getting loops into working position, place a marker on the right needle to mark the beginning. Knit the first stitch (the slip knot). When the first leg of a loop is in back, simply work into the center of the stitch (like knitting into back) in its most open position, on other loops, work it as a knit. When loops get lapped over each other, gently work the front one loose. Don’t work too tightly, but tension on this first round isn’t crucial.
When the slip knot will be the next stitch on the left needle, the marker put on at the beginning it will be on the cable below the slip knot. You have completed the first ring of two rings which equal a Moebius round. It will appear that you are working into purl stitches, but those purls are the backs of the first ring.
Continue to work around until you are at the marker placed at the beginning. Setup Round is complete.
