Knitting · First steps · 15-20 minutes

Cast On

Casting on puts the first row of loops on your needle. The long-tail cast-on gives a neat, stretchy edge. If it feels tricky, start with the backward-loop or knitted cast-on below and come back to it later.

You'll need

Yarn
2 needles (US 8 / 5 mm)
A slip knot on one needle

Step by step

Tick each step as you go if you like; ticks stay on this device.

Leave a long tailMake your slip knot about 1 inch of yarn per stitch from the end. For 20 stitches, leave about 20 inches plus a little extra.
Hold the yarnHold the needle in your right hand. Put the tail over your left thumb and the ball yarn over your left pointer finger. Hold both strands in your palm with your other fingers.
Go under the thumb loopPoint the needle down and slide its tip up through the loop around your thumb.
Catch the finger yarnSwing the needle tip over and around the yarn on your pointer finger.
Back through the thumb loopBring the needle back down through the thumb loop, carrying the yarn with it.
TightenLet the loop slip off your thumb and gently pull the tail to snug the new stitch. Repeat until you have enough stitches. The slip knot counts as stitch one.
Easy option: backward loopWrap the yarn around your pointer finger to make a loop, slip the needle into it, and pull snug. It is the easiest cast-on, but the edge is looser.
Easy option: knitted cast-onKnit into the slip knot but leave it on the left needle. Put the new loop onto the left needle next to it. Repeat into the newest stitch each time.

Tips

Stitches should slide easily on the needle. If they are tight, cast on over a bigger needle or over both needles held together.
The knitted cast-on is a good choice once you know the knit stitch.

If something goes wrong

Problem	Fix
You ran out of tail before all the stitches were on.	Pull it out and start again with a longer tail.
The stitches are too tight to knit into.	Cast on again more loosely, or use a bigger needle just for casting on.

See it in the old books

Pictures and lessons from sewing and knitting books published more than a hundred years ago, free at the Internet Archive.

📖 Priscilla War Work Book: 'A Lesson in Knitting', casting on with numbered pictures (1917) ↗

Sources

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