Knitting Lessons: Cast On Techniques

All knitting starts with casting on.  This creates loops on the needle which will become the first row of stitches.  Here I present four cast on techniques which are the most commonly used.

These techniques include:
Single Cast On
Longtail Cast On
Knitted Cast On
Cable Cast On

I recommend learning the Single Cast On and Longtail Cast On techniques first.  The longtail is my favorite; once you get the hang of it it is super easy and makes a nice edge.  I would wait to learn the knit stitch before you learn the Knitted Cast On and Cable Cast On.  It is much simpler once you are proficient at the knit stitch.

For more knitting tutorials visit my page: Carleyy.

Step 1: Single Cast On

Slip Knot

1. Start by making a loop with the yarn.  
2. Bring the yarn through the loop, creating another loop with a knot at the end

Single Cast On

1. Slide slip knot onto needle.  Pull yarn to tighten knot
2. Wrap the working yarn (yarn connected to the ball of yarn) around your thumb so you have a loop around your thumb.
3. Bring the needle under and up through the loop around your thumb
4. Remove your thumb from the loop and pull the yarn
5. Continue from step 2 until you have desired number of stitches casted on

Comments

[tianapotter]

Still having trouble casting on I don't get how to do the first casting on it just makes a loop if you could post a video I would very appreciate it. Thanks

[katzenmama]

Thank you for all of your knitting lessons. I appreciate how thoroughly you documented each step both with photos and written instructions. I also greatly appreciate that you used verbal instructions in your videos, rather than simply showing the techniques. The combination of photo, text, video and verbal instructions have made learning to knit very easy. (Now if only I could do it without dropping stitches, etc. lol ) I started with the single cast on, as it seemed to be the easiest casting on method to learn, and have now learned the knit stitch and the purl stitch through your tutorials. I also finished your casting (binding) off lesson, and am now returning to the cast-on lessons to learn the other casting on techniques.

My question for you is: what would be the reason for choosing one technique over another? Is there a hierarchy of superiority between the various methods? Would the decision be based on the type of project one is doing?

Thanks! Kati

[blueberryshark]

omg thank u so much yours is the only one that makes sense!!!!

[smookins]

I have tried so many different tutorials on casting on even other videos, but I must say yours is the only one that was through enough for me to understand how to do it!
Thank you so very much.

[cameronhirsch]

I was having trouble learning to cast on, but I have to say the single cast on video was a huge help. I love that it was filmed first person, made it so much easier to understand.